


Boiling Point (Steam, Part 1)

by Akordia, TheBlackSouledFox



Series: Steam [1]
Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Accidental Cuddling, Action, Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dreams and Nightmares, Drinking, Drinking & Talking, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, Morning Cuddles, Past Relationship(s), Plot, Post-Canon, Post-Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance, Romantic Fluff, Sharing a Bed, Sleepy Cuddles, Slow Burn, Slow Dancing, Slow Romance, Spooning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-06-26 10:45:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 49,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15661653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akordia/pseuds/Akordia, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBlackSouledFox/pseuds/TheBlackSouledFox
Summary: In the midst of training with Kairi, Lea is called to help save the dearly departed Aqua.With Aqua returned, and the possibility of waking Ventus now possible, Yen Sid orders the group to... take a vacation; and Lea suddenly finds himself stuck with an enigmatic woman and three teenagers. But he and Aqua have more in common than he ever thought...





	1. In Darkness

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! Thank you for taking the time to read this :D The fic is the first in a two-part series, Steam. There may be more parts in the future, but for now, two is all Akordia and I have planned :)
> 
> One quick note before things kick off, this fic is operating under the assumption that Aqua wasn't Norted, her heart was just lost to darkness.
> 
> With that out of the way, Akordia and I hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading!
> 
> -TheBlackSouledFox

Castle Oblivion was as cold and heartless as the last time Axel had been there. The white walls were unfriendly, and it almost seemed as though they were alive; Axel could’ve sworn something was watching him as he walked through the silent halls, and whatever it was certainly wasn’t friendly. He’d come here to- he stopped walked abruptly. Why _had_ he come to this place again? Surely Xemnas or Saȉx sent him here, but why couldn’t he remember what they’d asked him to do?

He glanced at the walls, as though they held the answer. The only response they offered was the same unsettling silence. _Maybe the answer will come to me if I just… keep going._ He thought to himself, tearing his gaze away from the walls. He knew it wouldn’t though. That wasn’t how Castle Oblivion worked; to gain was to lose, and to lose was to gain. 

He kept walking, the only sounds accompanying him his own footsteps. He heard no one, saw no one, and felt no other presence in the Castle besides his own. So when he rounded a corner and saw a cloaked figure standing there, he jumped a bit, startled. Though the figure’s hood was up, and his face was shrouded in darkness, Axel recognized him immediately. 

“Roxas?” He called out.

Roxas didn’t react. It was as though Axel hadn’t said anything at all. A swirl of emotions roiled within Axel’s chest as the two watched each other. In that moment, as he was staring at his closest friend, the full weight of just how much he _missed_ Roxas hit him. Loneliness , powerful and unrelenting washed over him, and he fell to knees, suddenly too weak to stand.

“Roxas,” he called out. “I-”

“Save it, Axel,” Roxas spat. “I don’t wanna hear it. I’m sick and tired of you hiding things from me. I’m sick you _you_.” 

“Roxas, listen, _please. _” Axel pleaded. “I didn’t want to hide things from you, I just wanted-”__

__“You just wanted, what? To protect me? Did you ever consider what _I_ wanted?! You only care about yourself.” Roxas’s words were like a knife to Axel’s chest. He’d never felt so… dirty and wrong. That’d been all he ever wanted: to protect Roxas. _ _

__As Axel scrambled for words, Roxas whirled around and disappeared around another corner._ _

__“Roxas!” Axel called, scrambling back to his feet. He chased after his friend, but when he rounded the corner, he was no longer in Castle Oblivion. The world shifted, and he suddenly found himself standing in the World That Never Was. Rain poured from the sky, cold and unrelenting. He recognized where he was. This was where-_ _

__“Axel,” Roxas’s voice called out to him from behind. Axel whirled around, but saw no one._ _

__“Axel!” Another voice cried. This was was female, and sounded… sorrowful. The voice was strangely familiar, though Axel couldn’t remember who it belonged to. Again, he turned and saw no one._ _

__“You failed,” Roxas spoke, his voice echoing from somewhere Axel couldn’t see._ _

__“You didn’t save us,” said the female voice. Each word was a knife lancing through Axel’s body._ _

__“We were lost because of _you,_ ” Roxas spat. “You should’ve tried harder.”_ _

__“You promised to bring us back; why didn’t you?” The girl cried out again._ _

__“ _Stop it,_ ” Axel spoke through gritted teeth. “I tried my best, _stop it! _”___ _

____He raised his hands to his ears to block out their voices, but it were as though they were speaking directly into his mind. The world started spinning as Roxas and the girl continued to taunt and blame him. He doubled over, his hands still on his ears. It was becoming too much, their voices were too loud, he couldn’t take it-_ _ _ _

____“Axel!” Another girl’s voice called out to him. This voice he knew all too well. Relief washed over him like a tidal wave. Roxas’s and the first girl’s voice faded into a distant din._ _ _ _

____“Kairi!” He answered. “Kairi, where are you?!”_ _ _ _

____“ _Lea_ , you need to wake up!”_ _ _ _

_____Wake… up?_ _ _ _ _

____The realization that he was dreaming hit him, then. _That’s right…_ he thought, as the dream started to dissolve around him. _My name is Lea.__ _ _ _

____Lea’s eyes snapped open, and he found himself in his room. A nightmare. He’d been having a nightmare. _Again._ A fully dressed Kairi was standing over him, her hands on his shoulders; she must’ve been shaking him to try and wake him. His heart pounded like a drum in his chest as reality began to lock in place around him. _ _ _ _

____The nightmares were nothing new, but they still left him shaken and disturbed for a bit after. As the days passed, the nightmares seemed to become more and more frequent; he was experiencing them almost nightly now. He and Kairi had been training for a few weeks now, and while they’d bonded and become close in his waking hours, the nightmares relentlessly reminded him of his past. Of what he’d tried to leave behind._ _ _ _

____Lea blinked slowly, still half-asleep, and glanced out the window. It was still dark out; why had Kairi woken him up?_ _ _ _

____“Kairi?” He questioned. He sat up and allowed the sheets to fall off him. “What’s wrong?”_ _ _ _

____“Axel, it’s Riku and Mickey, they need you!” He flinched at his name, but Kairi didn’t seem to notice. She tugged on his arm, trying to hurrying him._ _ _ _

____“Woah, Kairi, slow down,” he protested as she pulled him out of his bed and onto his feet. “What happened?”_ _ _ _

____“They found Aqua,” she explained as she maneuvered behind him, her hands on the small of his back as she tried to push him. “But something’s not right! They need help; Yen Sid’s sent a message a few minutes ago calling for you. You! Need! To! Hurry!” With each word she gave Lea a small shove._ _ _ _

____“Kairi,” he said plainly. “I can’t help them in my pajamas.”_ _ _ _

____Kairi stopped suddenly, as though the thought hadn’t occurred to her that Lea was still in sweatpants and a tank top. “Right, well, hurry! Yen Sid is waiting for us in his tower,” she explained._ _ _ _

____Lea nodded as she left, the door closing behind her with a soft click._ _ _ _

____He walked over to the wardrobe and rummaged through it, ignoring most of his clothes until he found what he needed. Dressing into the black cloak felt… wrong. Like he was slipping on a skin that didn’t belong to him. Even worse, it reminded him of Axel, of who he used to be. He closed his eyes, exhaling a slow breath as he slid on the gloves, completing the outfit._ _ _ _

_____That’s not you anymore,_ he reminded himself as he pushed open the door. Kairi was standing across from him, leaning against the wall and anxiously playing with the edge of her dress. The second the door opened, her head snapped up and her eyes, full of worry, met Lea’s._ _ _ _

____“Does Merlin know?” He asked, holding out a hand to her. “Don’t want the old coot to think we ditched training or anything.”_ _ _ _

____Kairi nodded and slipped her hand into his. “I left him a note, he’ll figure it out.”_ _ _ _

____“Well, what’re we sitting around for? Let's go save your friends.” Kairi started at his words, and opened her mouth as though to protest. Before she could say something like _They’re you’re friends, too,_ , Lea held out his other hand, and a Corridor appeared in front of them, dark and swirling. _ _ _ _

____“Stay close,” he warned, pulling Kairi close to him. She hung onto his cloak as they stepped through the Corridor as one. The Corridor was dark and bone-chillingly cold. The first time Lea had gone through one, he’d come out the other side shivering and terrified out of his mind. He gripped Kairi’s hand tightly, and she clung to him as though her life depended on it._ _ _ _

____The journey was over before it began. The darkness around them faded, and Lea found himself standing in front of Yen Sid’s desk. The old sorcerer was already there, seated, and watching them intently. He nodded solemnly as the two appeared before him, and rose to his feet._ _ _ _

____“I apologize for interrupting your training,” he began. “And for calling you at such an odd hour. But I fear that it is most urgent. So urgent, in fact, that I’ve recalled Sora, Donald, and Goofy as well.”_ _ _ _

____“Right, right,” said Lea as he gently released Kairi’s hand. “Kairi gave me alllllll the details. I got pegged with the icky job again, no biggie.”_ _ _ _

____Yen Sid nodded. “Yes, I fear this job will be most ‘icky,’ as you say. Riku and Mickey have, indeed, found our departed Aqua. However, she is... not as she once was. It is as we most feared; Aqua has been taken by the darkness.”_ _ _ _

____“So, what? You want me to save her? To bring her back?”_ _ _ _

____“Time is of the essence, Lea. You are the only one who can open a Corridor to Riku and Mickey’s location. You do not have much experience with the keyblade, but you must make do with what little you have.”_ _ _ _

____Kairi’s eyes hardened. “I can help them too! Send me with Axel!”_ _ _ _

____“Absolutely no way, kiddo,” Lea cut in, crossing his arms. “Crossing a few Corridors is one thing, but going into the Realm of Darkness? Nuh uh.”_ _ _ _

____“But, Axel! They shouldn’t be the only ones getting hurt, I promised-”_ _ _ _

____“Lea is correct, Kairi,” Yen Sid cut her off. “While Lea is not proficient with his keyblade, he has other forms of defending himself. You are far too inexperienced. Your presence may prove to be more hindrance than help.”_ _ _ _

____“But-”_ _ _ _

____Lea kneeled down in front of Kairi so they were eye-to-eye. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Kairi, I want to take you with me, but you know I can’t.” As he spoke, Roxas’s words from his nightmare rang through his head. _Did you ever consider what_ I _wanted?_ He cringed internally. “I _promise_ to you that I’ll bring them back to you, okay, kiddo?”_ _ _ _

____Kairi gave him a sad look. “You say you’ll bring them back, Axel. But who will be there to bring _you_ back?” Lea started at her words. He’d never truly thought about that, before._ _ _ _

____“Lea,” Yen Sid interrupted. “You must leave now.”_ _ _ _

____“Sorry, Kairi,” Lea said, rising to his feet with a sigh. “Orders are orders, can’t just go around disobeying them can I?”_ _ _ _

____Kairi smiled at that. “Those words don’t fit you at all, Axel.”_ _ _ _

____“Had to try ‘em once, right?” He shot her a wink before turning back to Yen Sid. “Tell me where to go.”_ _ _ _

____“The Meridian of Darkness. Focus your Corridor on Riku and Mickey, and your heart will guide you to them.”_ _ _ _

____“Right, open a Corridor to a place I’ve never seen or been. Easy.”_ _ _ _

____“ _Lea._ ” _ _ _ _

____“Don’t have a conniption, old ti- Master, I’m working on it!” Yen Sid raised an unamused eyebrow, but Lea was already a world away, focusing on Riku and Mickey._ _ _ _

____It wasn’t easy for him, to say the least. Sure, he _knew_ them, but knowing someone and knowing someone well enough to feel their heart across worlds were different things. So instead of focusing on what he didn’t know about the odd pair, he began to focus on what he did know. _ _ _ _

____He knew that Riku would do anything for his closest friends, even sacrifice himself. In a way, Riku reminded Lea a bit of himself. He felt a pang of longing lance through his heart. The sudden emotion startled him; the whole _having a heart_ thing was still… new to him. _At least I’ve actually got one, now._ He refocused on Riku before his emotions threatened to overwhelm him. _ _ _ _

____He also knew that Riku had done things in the past he regretted, things he felt he had to atone for. This time, it was guilt and resentment that struck Lea’s heart. _So far, hearts seem like more trouble than they’re worth,_ he thought to himself, gritting past the pain in his heart._ _ _ _

____But whatever he was doing seemed to be working. As he focused on Riku’s heart, on what their hearts held similar, he felt something… a fleeting glimmer, far far away in the darkness. He latched onto it quickly before it could vanish._ _ _ _

____Opening his eyes, he held out a hand and ripped open a Corridor, holding the glimmer close to his heart as he did so. Its darkness yawned open before him, endless and expansive. A hint of nervousness hit him as he watched the Corridor swirl and churn; he’d have no idea if it worked until he actually stepped through it. He squashed it down. He couldn’t afford to doubt himself; Riku and Mickey we’re counting on him._ _ _ _

____“Excellent work Lea,” Yen Sid praised him. “Now hurry, before they are all lost.”_ _ _ _

____He nodded and moved to enter his Corridor. He stepped one foot inside, but before he could step fully in, Kairi grabbed his hand, stopping him. “Wait, Axel,” Kairi spoke quickly, tripping over her words as though she couldn’t get them out fast enough. She pushed something star-shaped and rough into his hand; its edges cut into Lea’s fingers. A quick glance told him it was made of red and white seashells. A face had been drawn onto one point, and Lea could’ve sworn it looked like Sora. “Take this, so you come back to us.”_ _ _ _

____“What is-?”_ _ _ _

____“It’s a good luck charm; it’ll bring you home... I want it back!” She warned. “Now, go!” She gave him a quick embrace before stepping away. She swiped at her face for a second, and Lea could’ve sworn he saw her tearing up._ _ _ _

____“Yeah, yeah, I’ve got it memorized! I’ll be back,” he promised, gripping the charm close to his chest for a second before gently placing it in a pocket. He took one last glance toward Kairi and Yen Sid, sealing the memory of them into his mind, before turning and stepping through the Corridor._ _ _ _

____Darkness swallowed him, and his vision of Yen Sid’s tower faded into nothing._ _ _ _


	2. The Meeting of Hearts

If the Castle Oblivion in Lea’s nightmares felt creepy and hostile, it was nothing compared to the atmosphere in the Meridian of Darkness. As Lea stepped out of the Corridor, hot, hellish air hit his face and instantly made him regret the coat. He was standing in a wide, deep crater; tall ridges of what appeared to be glittering sand surrounded him on all sides. Above him, a dark sky stretched on and on, he saw no hint of a star anywhere. Darkness painted the world in dark, flat hues. 

He was definitely in the Realm of Darkness, but Riku, Mickey, and Aqua were nowhere to be seen; he must’ve been off-target.

“Alrighty, now,” he murmured to himself, clapping his hands together. “Let’s see… if I was an edgy teenager, a talking mouse, and a corrupted Keyblade Master,” he counted off on his fingers as he spoke. “Just where, oh where, would I be?” As if the world was answering him, he began to hear something. Somewhere from over the ridge of sand in front of him came the sharp and harsh sounds of fighting. “Oh. Right. Obviously.”

He began clamoring up the ridge, one part of his mind focused on climbing, the other on holding the Corridor open. The sand cut into his hands, even through his gloves, and he realized the ridge wasn’t made of sand like he’d thought, but of small, tiny pieces of broken glass. He was wincing by the time he made it up the ridge; his trail marked by bloody handprints. 

As he stood, finally at the top of wall of glass, the full reality of the situation hit him. Riku was mid-combat with Aqua, their keyblades were whirling and slashing so quickly, Lea almost couldn’t keep up. And Mickey… the King appeared to be trapped in a thick miasma of darkness. He was struggling, but the darkness held firm. 

Lea sighed. “I always, _always_ get stuck with the icky jobs!” He walked toward the trio, and Mickey’s eyes finally caught his. 

“Lea!” He cried out. Riku, who’s keyblade was currently locked with Aqua’s, whirled his head toward Lea, and relief spread across his features. Master Aqua, too, turned her face toward his. Her eyes, a harsh and familiar gold, glinted with an emotion Lea was all to familiar with: cruel glee. 

“Well hey there!” Lea called back. “Thought you could just go and start the party without me? How _rude!_ ” He held out his right hand, the part of his mind not focusing on his Corridor began focusing on his own heart. “Luckily for you two, I’m a very kind and forgiving person.” His keyblade manifested into his hand with a small flash, and Lea sent a silent thank you to the keyblade gods that it’d appeared when he’d called. If Keyblade gods were even real things.

“Axel, is now really the time-” Riku began, but was cut off as Aqua suddenly broke their stalemate by leaping back. She readied her keyblade at her side, those gold eyes taking in Lea as he stood next to Riku.

“How sweet, Riku,” she drawled. “You’ve brought another friend for me to play with.”

“Sorry, sweetheart,” Lea replied, leveling his keyblade at the Master. “I’ve never been anyone’s play thing, and I don’t plan on starting now.” To Riku, he murmured. “I have a Corridor open, we need to grab Aqua and the King and get out.”

“But how, exactly, are we going to _grab_ Aqua?” Questioned Riku, his own keyblade held at the ready. “Thanks, by the way, for showing up.”

Lea paused for a moment. “Hey no worries, it’s what I do. And I- ah, I’m still working on that part.”

“Did you come here with no plan?”

“I have a plan... in progress. In my defense, I woke up like, ten minutes ago, okay? Cut me some slack!”

Aqua glowered at them from where she stood. She was about twenty feet away, and off to the side, to her right, Mickey stood trapped in that darkness. An icky situation, indeed. “Don’t you know,” she spoke, her voice dark with rage as she began to advance on them. “That it’s rude to speak about people when they can’t hear?”

“Don’t _you_ know that it’s pretty rude to shackle up a mouse and attack a poor teenager? Must be all that darkness getting to your head. Probably clogging up your ears too; no wonder you couldn’t hear us!” The last line was inflammatory, aimed at focusing Aqua’s attention on Lea.

Sure enough, Aqua scowled at him, her gold eyes turning solely in his direction. “Do you think you’re funny, _Lea_? Or, is it Axel? It hardly matters.” She spoke his name as though it were a poison. “You’ll be gone soon enough.” She was nearing them now, only about ten feet lay between them; she’d be within attacking range soon enough.

“Actually, princess, I don’t think I’m funny, I think i’m _hilarious._ Why, do you think I’m funny?” He ended the sentence with a smirk. “Because, let me tell you-”

“Axel...” Riku warned. “It’s now or never.”

“You know, I think you’re right, my dear friend,” he shifted his weight, getting ready to pounce, and Riku followed his lead. Aqua, only a few feet away, was doing the same. “NOW!”

The instant the words left his mouth, he and Riku lunged for Aqua. She roared at them with a defiant battle cry as she leaped toward them, keyblade at the ready. As one, Riku and Lea’s keyblades clashed into Aqua’s with a metallic clang. As the shock of his keyblade connecting with Aqua’s reverberated through Lea’s very core, he felt something else, too. 

Just like before, when he’d been trying to find Riku, he felt a glimmer of light, it was buried deep and steeped in darkness, but it was still a glimmer. In that instant, Lea knew what he had to do, or at least, he had a vague idea. He wasn’t proficient with his keyblade. At all. Aqua would easily defeat him and move on to Riku and the King. But if he was right, and this glimmer was the true Aqua…

Not knowing what else to do, he latched onto the glimmer with his own heart and held on for dear life. The glimmer, as though it were alive, reacted, and seemed to hold on just as tightly. The scenery around him suddenly changed, and once again Lea found himself in a totally different place. The Meridian of Darkness melted away, and instead he found himself standing in a field of darkness. 

At his feet was a round expanse of stained glass, colored in hues of blue, stretching at least twenty feet across. To one side, Lea was surprised to see a image of Aqua had been designed into the glass. Her eyes were closed, and she clutched a star-shaped object close to her heart. Her keyblade rested in her other hand. Other images had been depicted into the glass; bubbles were littered across the whole thing, each holding different images. Another keyblade, it’s blade in the shape of an “E”, sat in one. Another a set of three stars, similar to the one Aqua held in her hand. Two other faces had been set into the glass as well.

One of them, Lea didn’t recognize; his blue eyes and brown hair giving him a warm, kind appearance. The other made Lea almost jump; this boy was a spitting image of _Roxas._ But as Lea looked closer, he suddenly realized he wasn’t looking at Roxas, but of the boy he’d meet once long ago: _Ventus._

A voice suddenly echoed from the nothingness, and he snapped his head up only to find that he was still alone. _Hello,_ it said. Lea started. The voice sounded like a kinder version of Aqua _Are you here to help me?_

_Are you… Aqua?_ He asked it.

_I am what’s left,_ it replied simply. _I am light._

_Well then, I suppose I am. _He instinctively held out a hand and, to his surprise, a figure materialized in front of him. He took a small, involuntary step back as Aqua suddenly appeared, her hand resting on top of his. She looked at him, a sad smile on her face. As he gazed into her face, Lea breathed a sigh of relief. Her eyes were a beautiful blue, not the harsh gold they were on the Meridian.__

__He gripped her hand tightly, and she gripped back. There was a great flash, and the world of light fell away. As reality slowly returned to him, Lea found his senses had been overwhelmed; his ears were ringing, and he couldn’t see anything. He’d somehow ended up on his back; and he felt _sore._ He blinked, forcing his eyes open and wincing as light suddenly entered his vision. On top of the pain in his body, he had a killer headache, too._ _

__Someone shook him roughly, and he groaned in pain. Riku’s face popped into view above his own, his eyes full of worry. Good, Riku wasn’t hurt. Now he just had to see if Mickey and Aqua were okay, and they could make their escape through the Corri-_ _

___The Corridor._ Panic overtook Lea. He’d totally forgotten about maintaining the Corridor while he’d been… what _had_ he been doing, exactly? Connecting to Aqua’s heart? _ _

__Whatever he’d done, it didn’t matter at the moment. He reached out for his Corridor, praying at least of trace of it remained. It was always easier to rip open past Corridors than it was to open new once, and this one was no exception. He sighed with relief as he felt its presence. It was smaller and weaker than it had been, but he’d caught it just as it had been about to close._ _

__The ringing in his ears faded moments later, and he finally heard Riku calling out to him. “Axel!”_ _

__“I told you…” he coughed. Even _speaking_ was painful; what the hell had happened to him? “The name’s Lea. Get it memorized.”_ _

__Riku rolled his eyes. “Okay, _Lea._ Can you stand?”_ _

__Lea attempted to sit up, but as stopped by an intense pain in his chest. He flopped back down onto his back. “Nope. No. Can’t do that, I’m afraid,” he groaned. “What happened?”_ _

__Riku slid his hands under Lea and lifted slowly, propping him up. “I don’t know. When all of our keyblades met, there was this… flash of light. It blasted us back and, whatever it was, seemed to make Aqua go back to normal. I think you two took the brunt of it.”_ _

__When Riku helped Lea sit fully up, he was able to see the devastation that had been wrecked across the Meridian. A sizable crater now sat where the three had clashed, though it wasn’t quite as large as the one Lea had arrived in. Aqua and King Mickey were on the other side; it looked like Aqua was completely unconscious. Mickey was attempting to rouse her with no success._ _

__“I hope that Corridor of yours is still open,” Riku said, sliding an arm across Lea’s back and under his arm._ _

__“Of course it is,” Lea scoffed. “I’m not an amateur- _ow!_ ” He was cut off when Riku suddenly, and painfully, lifted Lea to his feet. “Hey, careful Riku, I’m fragile!” Now fully standing, dizziness washed over Lea in waves, forcing him to lean on Riku more than he’d like._ _

__Riku rolled his eyes again, but Lea could see him trying not to smile. Meanwhile, on the other side of the crater, Lea watched Mickey summon two giant, spectral, gloved hands that mirrored his own lift Aqua gently, and Lea briefly wondered if the pain was making him see things. Mickey dashed toward the pair, the hands carrying Aqua following him diligently._ _

__“Lea!” He called again as he approached. “Am I glad you’re alright!”_ _

__“I wouldn’t exactly call this _alright,_ Mic-” Riku tensed against him. “Your Majesty, but thanks, I guess,” Lea grunted. He swayed, the pain rocking him, and Riku tightened his grip on him. It took all of his willpower to hold the Corridor open, now. _ _

__“We should hurry, before he passes out,” Riku urged._ _

__Lea scoffed. “I’m not gonna pass-” his vision blurred. His legs, suddenly weak, nearly collapsed under him, forcing Riku to bear most of his weight. “Okay, I _might_ pass out.”_ _

__Mickey nodded, concern lighting up his eyes. “Where’s your Corridor?”_ _

__“Just a hop and a skip that-a-way, Your Majesty,” he said, pointing towards the large crater with his free hand. He could feel himself slowly slipping into blissful unconsciousness. _Keep it together,_ he warned himself. _They still need you.__ _

__“Hurry,” was Riku’s only response as he practically carried Lea back towards the crater. The height difference between the two made it awkward, and Lea was acutely aware that his delirious state wasn’t making it particularly easy for Riku. Despite this, Riku managed to get them to the lip of the crater. Sure enough, sitting in the center of it sat the Corridor, though it appeared to be wavering in and out._ _

__“This is probably gonna hurt,” Riku warned him as he began to lower them down the slope._ _

__“Great,” Lea murmured. “That’s real great.”_ _

__Riku, still bearing Lea’s weight, slid down the slope. Lea tried his best to maintain balance, and it certainly _seemed_ to be working… at least until another wave of pain caused him to gasp out loud and lean heavily into Riku. The sudden shift in weight caused Riku and Lea to topple and roll the rest of the way down the slope. Riku ended up landing on top of Lea, causing both of them to groan in pain. They were sprawled out in front of the Corridor, which flickered dangerously in response to Lea’s wavering focus._ _

__Riku got to his feet just as Mickey slid down the slope, the magical hands, and Aqua, right behind him. “He’s not in good shape at all,” Mickey commented as he helped Riku get Lea standing again._ _

__“Yeah,” Lea slurred. “No sh-”_ _

__“We need to go, now,” Riku cut him off before he could finish. Riku, with Mickey’s help, once again had Lea on his feet. “You first, Your Majesty.”_ _

__Mickey nodded gratefully and disappeared into the Corridor. The hands, however, had to maneuver a bit before they could fit. Lea strained to keep the portal open; each second that passed was agony. Unconsciously, his hand drifted to the pocket of his coat, the one that had Kairi’s charm in it. A word popped into his mind as his fingers brushed the shells. _Wayfinder.__ _

___Weird,_ he thought to himself. _Where did that word come from?__ _

__As he finished the thought, the hands finally squeezed their way through the Corridor. Riku’s grip tightened on Lea, and he walked them both through it. A heartbeat and a blast of cold and darkness later, and Lea was once again standing in Yen Sid’s office, though this time, it was occupied by far more people._ _

__He caught a brief glimpse of Sora, Donald, and Goofy, but before he could focus on them, another face came into view. _Kairi_ He pulled the charm out of his pocket and held it out. _ _

__“Told you I’d bring it back,” he grinned, as he watched Kairi’s eyes light up._ _

__Before she could react, pain shot through him, sharp and sudden, and the joy in Kairi’s eyes was replaced by concern. As the pain became too much, Lea finally let go, and allowed himself to drift into blissful nothingness as he collapsed. He felt the vague sensation of hands catching him, and then, there was nothing._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading! We hope you enjoyed! :D
> 
> -TheBlackSouledFox


	3. Awakening

The first sensation that returned to Lea was bright, harsh sunlight in his face. Groaning, he slowly blinked awake, wincing as the light entered his eyes. He raised an arm in front of him, blocking some of the light as he struggled to wake up. He was laying down in a room he didn’t recognize, but seemed familiar. Some genius had placed the bed next to the window, so sunlight streamed directly onto it. Everything was painted bright, cheerful colors, as though he’d stumbled into a child’s room. Logic told him he was probably _not_ stranded in the Realm of Darkness, but was somewhere in Yen Sid’s tower. 

“Someone _really_ needs to talk to the old geezer about his interior decorating,” Lea mumbled to nobody in particular.

More awake now, he took a cursory prod of his chest and stomach. Small pains shot through him with each touch, though it was nothing compared to the pain he’d been in earlier; he felt more bruised than anything. Under his tank top, someone had carefully bandaged his chest; the bandages carried over down his arms and almost all the way to his elbow. He still felt sore and completely drained, as though something had sucked the energy out of him. Steeling himself, he sat up, trying his best to ignore the pain as he did so. 

As the covers fell off, Lea saw that someone had taken the time to dress him into his pajamas. Which would’ve been fine, had whoever dressed him not selected the pajama bottoms that had the cute moogles on them. Heat rose to his cheeks, but the dull aching in his chest quickly buried any embarrassment he might have felt.

What _had_ happened on the Meridian? And why had it left him feeling so drained and weak?

Determined to get answers, _and to find whoever the hell put him in these pajamas,_ he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and made an effort to stand. He almost immediately fell over, but was able to catch himself on the nightstand near the bed. The nightstand shook under the sudden force of Lea’s weight, causing the lamp sitting on top it to topple over. Lea, reacting quickly, reached a hand out to grab it, which would’ve worked if he was fully awake and healed. Instead of gracefully catching the lamp as he intended, he ended up more... _punching_ it with his hand. The lamp arced through the air, twirling end over end until its flight was put to a abrupt end as it crashed into the wall, loudly shattering into pieces.

He cringed at the sound, looking at the slaughtered lamp. “Alright, maybe if I just-” He reached down towards the pieces of the lamp, but lost his balance and toppled fully to the floor, crashing hard into the carpet. He lay in the broken remains of the once useful lamp, wincing as the shards dug into him. It was a stark contrast from the plush bed he’d been in only moments ago. He groaned, holding his arms to his poor, abused abdomen.“What the actual fu-”

The door burst open. “ _Lea!_ ” It was Kairi, her blue eyes wide with concern as she took in the scene. “What did… what happened? Are you alright?!”

“The-...the lamp is _evil_ , it’s an agent of the darkness, Kairi! It tried to attack me, and so I-... I punched it into the wall, and-” He gestured wildly, which looked ridiculous in his current attire, and ended up wincing as pain lanced through him.

Kairi rushed to his side, the expression on her face making it clear she was trying not to laugh. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, but her eyes turned dark as she assessed him. “Lea, be serious! You’re hurt, you shouldn’t be moving around like this yet.”

“Me, hurt? I’m totally fine, Princess. No need to worry about me.” As he spoke, the dull ache turned into a sharp, twisting pains in his chest. He groaned, clutching his chest with a hand.

Kairi took his other hand and squeezed it. “I’m going to get Yen Sid. _Don’t move,_ ” she warned as she rose to her feet and darted out the room.

“Didn’t plan on it,” he murmured, slumping onto the floor. Everything inch of him felt bruised and pained, as though he’d been trampled on by a team of angry moogles.

It wasn’t long before Kairi came back, this time with an unamused Yen Sid in tow. As they entered, Lea saw Riku and Sora poke their heads around the door frame, watching intently. Sora caught his gaze and gave a small wave. Lea, too exhausted to give him a full wave back, raised his hand and twiddled his fingers in greeting.

“Lea,” Yen Sid scolded. “You out of all should know when one is too wounded to move. Look at the mess you’ve made.”

“In my defense,” Lea protested, gritting through the pain. “The lamp started it.”

Yen Sid ignored his comment. “You were severely wounded on the Meridian; you shouldn’t be awake right now, let alone moving.”

“Can you save the lecture for when I’m not in excruciating pain, Master? I’d really appreciate it.”

“You must understand, Lea, this is not Organization XIII. These _lectures_ only come because we care for your well-being.”

Sora hopped from his position behind the door frame into the room. “Yeah! We’re all friends now, there’s no way we’d just let you suffer!”

Lea blinked in surprise; he genuinely didn’t have a response to that. In Organization XIII, he’d taken care of himself when he was wounded. Until Roxas had come along, he’d been on his own. It was _weird_ having the others look out for him; especially considering his past with them. It was even weirder to think that they considered him a friend.

“Well, you know… I’ve got experience taking care of myself,” Lea said. “But, there’s no harm in more hands, so, uh… thanks.”

“Life’s easier with friends,” Riku commented, entering the room and leaning on the door frame. “I know it’s hard but, let us take care of you. If you don’t, I think Kairi’s gonna _make_ you let us.”

Kairi nodded, her eyes hard with determination. “You may be there to bring us back, Axel, but we’ll be there to bring _you_ back, even if you don’t want us to.”

A faint feeling of a long lost memory flashed through Lea, leaving him momentarily saddened. His heart ached; Kairi’s words reminded him of something… something he’d forgotten. He forced down the sudden wave of emotion.

“Alright, alright, I get it already. You’re my friends! You care about me! Now can someone get me off the floor? Please?” He tried, and failed, to hide the waver in his voice.

Riku and Sora moved to either side of him and each grabbed one of his arms; carefully hauling him to his feet. The room spun as Lea stumbled to his feet; he had to lean on Sora and Riku as they helped him to the bed. 

They sat him down, and Riku began to snigger. “Nice pants,” he commented.

“Shut the he-” 

“Woah! Are those moogles? Where did you get them?!” Sora cut him off.

“They were a gi-... look, my pants aren’t important! What _is_ important is someone telling me what happened on the Meridian, and why I feel like I got run over by a bunch of  
… bunch of…” He looked at Sora. “Excited Soras.”

“Hey!” Sora protested.

“Your heart,” Yen Sid interjected before Sora could complain further. “Collided with Aqua’s. The meeting of your keyblades allowed your hearts to bridge, and subsequently allowed you to recover Aqua’s heart. The force of your keyblades meeting, however, proved to be quite... _explosive,_ ; in more ways than one. The strain of recovering Aqua’s heart from the darkness was… physically, emotionally, and mentally draining. Aqua still has not woken from the ordeal.”

“So, long story short, me saving Aqua caused a giant explosion. Got it.”

Yen Sid sighed. “Yes, you saving Aqua caused a giant explosion.”

“Makes perfect sense to-” dizziness washed over Lea like a tidal wave, forcing him to stop mid-sentence. He clutched at the sheets, trying to anchor himself and stop the room from spinning with little success.

Yen Sid’s eyes narrowed. “You are still wounded, Lea. You must rest and recover your strength.”

“...No, no… all clear! I’m good to-” He tried standing up to no avail, only succeeding in almost falling over again. He immediately sat back down, the world still spinning wildly. “Alright... you _might_ have a point there, Master.”

“I am a Master for a reason, Lea,” he replied as he began shooing the others out of the room. “Wisdom is my strong suit.” Lea could’ve sworn he saw the old man smiling to himself.

“Get better, Axel!” Kairi called from the hall.

“Yeah!” said Sora, who gave him another wave. “Be gone too long and you’ll miss all the fun!”

The fun of _what?_ He wanted to ask. But who knew with Sora? And, frankly, he was too tired to care.

Riku didn’t say anything, but just gave him a knowing smile, as though there was something he knew that Lea didn’t.

Yen Sid closed the door with a final nod as a goodbye. Lea watched the door for a second, almost expecting one of them to burst through the door again to make sure he wasn’t trying to get up. When the door remained closed, he collapsed into the soft bed. Darkness rose to claim him, and he drifted off to sleep once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thanks for reading! <3
> 
> -TheBlackSouledFox


	4. Dreams and Reality

It took another three days for Lea to be able to stand without falling over, and even then he was still dizzy and out of breath at times. His room was placed on the landing of the third floor, off to the side of the door leading to Yen Sid’s office. It was odd; in the few times he’d been there previously, he could’ve sworn he’d never seen another room, yet here it was. 

He hadn’t seen much of his friends; he’d spent most of the past two days in a deep sleep. He vaguely remembered waking up to scarf down the food that seemed to magically appear in his room, but had otherwise been dead to the world. This was the first time in three days he felt truly alert and awake; not to mention almost all the pain had faded into barely noticable twinges every now and then.

Still dressed in his moogle pants and tank top, he made his way to the door. This time, no lamps were murdered in the process, and he made it onto the landing with no incident. He was surprised to find yet another door situated across from his, making it the fourth door on the landing. 

Overwhelming curiosity drove him to inspect it; it was designed exactly like the other ones, except this one had a blue star painted onto the front. He turned to look at his own door and found that his had a symbol painted on it as well; a red silhouette in the shape of what appeared to be… ice cream? He made a silent reminder to punch whoever painted it onto his door.

Forcing himself to ignore the symbol, he put his hand on the knob of the door in front of him and gave it a careful twist. It opened with barely a whisper, and Lea gave one last glance around the landing to make sure no one was around. Satisfied that he was alone, he slipped into the room.

It was almost an exact replica of his own room, except flipped. The same cheery, child-like furniture adorned the room, and everything was painted in bright colors. His eyes drifted to the bed, and he almost jumped. Aqua lay there, completely comatose; she hadn’t seemed to react to Lea’s entering. A part of him immediately wanted to back out of the room, but… his curiosity got the better of him again. Instead of backing away, he inched closer to the bed, treading silently as to not wake the sleeping Master.

Even sleeping, she was beautiful. Something about her was mesmerizing; without the darkness twisting her features into something cruel and callous… her face was soft and kind. Sunlight from the window suddenly shifted onto Aqua, and Lea noticed something he hadn’t before; an aura of shimmering, soft light seemed to surround and envelop the sleeping Master. As the sunlight struck the aura around her, the light fractured into iridescent, glimmering shards that made Aqua look… _magical_. There was no other word to describe it.

Lea, to his surprise, found his heart pounding in his chest. He was right by the side of the bed now, so close he could now she Aqua’s eyes moving beneath their lids; she must’ve been dreaming. She murmured something, so quiet and soft that he didn’t catch it. He leaned over her, so his face was directly over hers.

“Aqua?”

~

Aqua was dreaming, she knew that as soon as she saw where she was. The stone walls and cheery-looking buildings of Radiant Garden surrounded her; but she hadn’t been here since… since she’d left Ven to chase after Terra. Though she was looking through her own eyes, it was like she was a passenger in her own mind. She could only watch as the memory replayed in front of her.

She watched herself tell Ven to go home, she watched herself ignore the hurt that had flashed across his eyes as she walked away, towards where Terra had left them behind. Regret, hot and sharp, struck her like a slap. She screamed at herself to turn around, to bring Ven with her, to do anything else… but it was just a memory. She couldn't change what had happened, no matter how much she wanted too.

Past-her walked out of the city gates, and even though Aqua knew what would happen, it still caught her completely off guard. As she summoned her keyblade and prepared to bring out her glider, something dark and fast flashed through the air to her left. Startled, she turned her head towards it… only for the thing to slam into her head, full-force.

It had knocked her over completely, so she was lying on her back looking up at the sky. Stars flitted across her vision. She’d been so dazed, it had taken her a moment to hear the voices arguing.

“I _told_ you you’d hit someone, you idiot.” Said the first.

“How was I supposed to know it would hit her?!” Another had protested.

Aqua had been coherent enough to recognize the voices belonged to two young boys. Still too dazed to look at them, she had just listened as they’d approached.

“Well, go make sure she’s okay,” the first voice, calm and cool, spoke again.

“I’m not heartless, Isa, jeez!” Replied the second. Moments later, Aqua heard the sound of footsteps rapidly running her away before suddenly stopping. The face of a young boy, bright and concerned at the same time, had appeared above hers. The boy’s hair was a startling shade of red, his eyes were a bright, friendly green. 

“You okay, lady?” he’d asked. “I’m real sorry about that, you know!”

Aqua knew what her response had been. _It’s fine,_ she’d laughed. A black-and-red frisbee lay forgotten next to her; it’s twin had been in the red-haired boy’s hand. _No harm done._

But before past-her could say it, the dream suddenly halted, as though someone had pressed pause. The boy’s voice and face faded as the dream melted away. Her eyes fluttered open, and she found herself staring into the same bright green eyes, the same face, only much older.

“Woah, you’re-” he began to say.

“You hit me with a frisbee!”

“Frisbee? What-” 

Aqua sat up with sudden force, succeeding in only smashing their foreheads together. A loud _thump_ resounded as the boy, or rather the man, fell to the ground, clutching his forehead.

“If that was revenge for whatever frisbee you’re talking about,” his voice groaned from the floor. “You sure got me good.”

Aqua laid back down, clutching her own forehead. “No, I think this hurts much worse than the frisbee.”

“This is the second time this week you’ve tried to kill me,” he said, sitting up. “And we haven’t even been formally introduced.” 

Aqua sat back up and gave him a once over. Under his black tank top, white bandages had been wrapped around his chest and down his arms. His bright red hair was stuck in crazy directions, as though he’d just woken up. He was still clutching at his head where a small, red bruise was forming. He was cute, in a scruffy kind of way.

“I… tried to…?”

“You don’t remember?” 

Aqua tried to, desperately reaching back into her memory. But all she could recall was a sweeping rush of darkness, a desperate fight and then… nothing. “No,” she sighed. “I don’t remember anything, I’m afraid. I’m… very sorry about trying to kill you, though. And for bashing our faces together. I can’t imagine that makes for the best first impression.”

“Yeah, well… forgiven on both accounts, don’t even worry about it. The name’s Lea, by the by.” He stood as he introduced himself, stumbling a bit but catching himself before he fell over again. “Get it memorized,” he said, a grin spreading across his face.

Aqua smiled. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Lea.” She slid out of bed and ending up standing directly in front of Lea; he was a full head taller than she was. How much time had passed since she’d seen him as a child? Mickey had told her she’d been lost in the Realm of Darkness for ten years, but it hadn’t quite sunken in until now.

“So… what’s this about a frisbee?” Lea asked, watching her as she moved.

“Oh… It had to be a decade or so ago. You were just a child, you threw a frisbee and it, well, knocked me right over,” she said, laughing a bit. “You had a friend with you. Isa, I think it was?”

At the mention of Isa, something in Lea’s eyes darkened, but it was gone in a heartbeat, once again replaced by a mischievous glint. As she recounted the rest of the story, Lea’s eyes lit up with recognition. “I think I remember now,” he laughed. “That was years ago, I’d completely forgotten… you look exactly the same.”

“Time in the Realm of Darkness flows differently, it seems,” she responded. “Speaking of… what happened?”

“You, ah, well… got corrupted by the darkness,” he said, awkwardly scratching at the back of his head as if trying to distract from what he’d said. At his words, Aqua felt a strange sense of… hollowness; some part of her knew what he said was true, but another refused to believe it. “Riku and Mickey found you and-”

“Riku and Mickey?” She cut him off. “Are they here?” The hollowness in her chest was replaced by sudden joy and relief. Riku and Mickey! She could finally see them again!

Lea shook his head, his eyes solemn. “Sorry, they got lost in the shadow realm, couldn’t-”

“No… no! We have to save them, right now!” She was about to shove past Lea when he suddenly stopped her, holding his hands out.

“Hey, hey! It was just a joke, they’re fine! I, don’t actually, ah, know _exactly_ where they are, but they’re fine! Promise!”

Aqua started, blinking in surprise. He’d been… joking? “You shouldn’t make jokes like that! It’s very serious!” Part of her was angry at him but… another found him oddly charming. His humor was familiar, somehow.

“Sorry, sorry, bad taste, I know. Hey, one bad first impression makes up for another, right?” He rubbed the back of his head. His cheeks were tinted with pink.

“Well…” Aqua sighed. “As long as Riku and Mickey are okay, then I suppose no harm was done.”

A relieved look passed over his features.. “Speaking of Riku and Mickey… did you want to see them?”

“Please,” she replied, a smile spreading across her face. “But… I thought you said you didn’t know where they are?”

Lea shrugged, grinning. “I don’t. But I’m willing to bet they’re _somewhere_ in the Tower.”

“Oh! The Tower? You don’t happen to mean _Yen Sid’s_ tower do you?”

“Yeah, actually I do. Why?”

She looked around for the first time. There was something oddly familiar about the furniture, and the place had an air of magic to it that Aqua recognized. “It’s just that, it’s been a while since I’ve been here. I almost didn’t recognize it.”

“Then I guess we’ll be equally lost trying to find them,” Lea laughed. His laugh was deep and resounding; something about it was pleasing to hear. It made Aqua want to laugh along with him. He moved to the door and held it open for her. “After you, Master.”

It was odd hearing someone around her age calling her “Master,” even if Lea was saying it half as a joke. Still, she thanked him as she exited onto the landing. He gave her an over exaggerated bow in response, and she laughed. 

As Lea shut the door behind him, Aqua heard another open off to her left. Surprised, she turned to find the face of a teenage boy poking out from behind a door. “I _knew_ I heard something!” he said, his face lighting up.

Like Lea, he was older by eleven years. But Aqua remembered those bright, spirited blue eyes and the even brighter smile. Joy, overwhelming and beautiful at the same time, swelled in her heart as she looked into the grown up face of Sora.

She put a hand to her mouth as tears welled up in her eyes. Sora didn’t seem to notice. He stepped fully into the room, still smiling widely. “It’s good to see you too up and around finally, I’ve been dying to tell-”

“Sora?” Another voice called from the now open door. “Who was it?”

The owner or the voice soon appeared in the doorway next to Sora. He, too, had aged since she’d last seen him, but she still recognized Riku the instant he appeared. When he saw her, his eyes lit up, and he gave her a small smile.

Riku wasn’t alone, however. Another figure emerged from the room beyond, female this time. It took Aqua a moment, but she recognized the older Kairi by her kind, warm smile. Kairi gave Aqua a small, shy wave as she approached.

Overwhelmed by the sense of happiness flooding her heart, she rushed forward and wrapped them all in an embrace. The tears threatening to spill over finally began to slide down her cheeks.

“Whoa!” Sora laughed, hugging her back. “I missed you too!”

Kairi gave her a tight, warm embrace in return, clinging to her as though Aqua would disappear any moment.

It took Riku a second to respond, as though he’d been surprised by the sudden hug. He put his arms around her and squeezed. “Hey, Aqua,” hey said a bit awkwardly. 

“You three… you’ve grown up so well,” Aqua said through her tears. “You’ve all gotten so tall!”

Riku nudged Sora from within their embrace. “I’m still taller than Sora.” A wide grin was spread across his features, the previous awkwardness seemingly gone.

“Hey!” He protested, shrugging off RIku’s touch. “Did you forget you’re _older_ too? I’ll catch up one of these days!”

“And do _you_ realize I’ll always be older? You can’t ‘catch up.’”

“I meant your height and you know it, Riku!”

“You two are impossible,” Kairi said, laughing.

Aqua laughed with her, pulling out of the embrace. She held them Sora and Riku at arms length, a hand on one of their shoulders. “I’m so, so proud of all of you; you’ve done amazing things. I’m glad… I’m glad that you were there when I couldn’t be.”

Sora’s smile dimmed a bit as he noticed the tears running down her cheeks. “Hey… you don’t have to cry, Aqua. Riku and I were happy to help, right, Riku?” He gave Riku a sharp nudge with his elbow.

“Of course,” Riku agreed solemnly, giving a sharp look to Sora. “You don’t have to feel bad.”

“We’re always help you out, Aqua,” Kairi smiled at her.

Aqua smiled and wiped her eyes. “Well, thank you, all. I’m very grateful to you.”

From behind her, she heard a sharp _ahem._ She turned to see Lea, leaning against her door with his arms crossed. He looked… grumpy, but that same mischievous glint was in his eye. “Hey, don’t forget who _really_ saved everyone’s bacon back there! I’m a core player, now!”

Aqua laughed. “In that case, I’m grateful to you, too, Lea.” 

Lea smiled, but once again, something dark passed over his eyes. Aqua watched him, curious. Lea seemed to be a harmless goofball, but yet… there was definitely more than met the eye when it came to him. His green eyes, while they seemed friendly at first, now seemed sharp and cunning. Aqua made a note to remember that little probably escaped his gaze. And that darkness she kept seeing in his eyes… 

Before she could contemplate him any further, Sora suddenly tugged at her hand, stealing her attention away from Lea. “Yen Sid had something he needed to tell both of you,” he said, his voice tinged with excitement. “I’ve wanted to tell you for days, but-”

“But,” Riku continued. “They’ve been resting, like they should’ve been.” He said, giving Sora a look.

“Don’t blame me for being excited, Riku, I know you are too!”

“Now now,” came another voice from behind the two boys. “I think that’s enough dawdling, you three.” Yen Sid appeared behind them, a stern look on his face. When he looked at Aqua, the Master gave a small smile. “Greetings, Master Aqua. It is good to see you finally awake.”

“Master Yen Sid,” Aqua said, smiling back. “It’s an honor to be here again.”

“There’s no need for that, Aqua. You are here as a friend and ally, such things are not necessary.” His gaze drifted somewhere behind Aqua, to Lea. “Lea, Aqua, it is as Riku and Sora have told you, we have many matters to discuss.”

Lea kicked off the door and moved to join the group huddled at the door. “It’s about time!” He said, stretching. “I’ve been absolutely _dying_ for some action.”

“Need I remind you, Lea, how severely wounded you were the _last_ time you saw some ‘action.’”

Lea shrugged. “Eh. Details, details.”

Aqua eyed the bandages around Lea’s chest and arms again. Had _she_ done that? Guilt passed through her like a ghost; if she had truly hurt Lea that badly, she was glad he forgave her for it.

“With Aqua returned to us, it is now possible to find Ventus, and rouse him from his slumber,” Yen Sid started. The revelation slammed into Aqua; she’d been so distracted, the thought of Ven hadn’t even crossed her mind. Hope bloomed within her; she could save Ven! “Aqua, I know you out of all of us are most eager to be reunited with Ventus. However…”

“He’s in what remains of the Land of Departure. That’s where I hid him,” she cut the Master off.

“I believe,” Yen Sid said with a look at Lea. “The Land of Departures is now referred to as Castle Oblivion.”

“Oh, absolutely fantastic,” Lea groaned. “I hate that place.”

“It doesn’t matter what it’s called, we have to save Ven!” Aqua pushed, looking pointedly at Yen Sid.

“If I may speak…” Yen Sid cut them both a sharp look, silencing them. “At this time, it is far too dangerous to recover Ventus.”

“What?!” Aqua cried. “No! We _have_ too!”

Yen Sid looked at her, his eyes sad. “I’m sorry, Aqua. Travel to Castle Oblivion is now nigh impossible, even with our gummi ships. The path is swallowed completely in darkness.”

“That hasn’t stopped us before,” Sora pointed out.

“No, it hasn’t,” Yen Sid agreed. “However, Castle Oblivion has proved to be quite dangerous in the past, even without the strengthening darkness. I will not risk your lives without gathering adequate information. Plus, there is another threat we must contend with…”

“Organization XIII,” Lea cut in. 

Yen Sid nodded in confirmation. “It is… troubling… that they have replaced their lost members so quickly.”

“Organization XIII?” Aqua questioned.

“Seekers of Kingdom Hearts,” Lea said. “Way they go about it is by gathering thirteen seekers of darkness to try and start a new ‘Keyblade War.’ Pretty nasty stuff from pretty nasty people, if you ask me.” A shadow passed over his face again. “Trust me, I would know.” Before Aqua could read his expression, Yen Sid began to speak again.

“Organization XIII has utilized Castle Oblivion in the past, and we simply do not know what they may do to obtain the last seeker they require. It is far too dangerous; we cannot risk losing a single one of you.”

“But…” Aqua protested.

“Fear not, Master Aqua,” Yen said held out a hand in a placating gesture.. “I assure you, the moment we are adequately prepared, we _will_ wake Ventus from his slumber. But in the meantime, there is something just as important I must ask you to do.”

“Of course, Yen Sid.” Her heart felt heavy in her chest. She was so close to saving Ven, but what Yen Sid was true. She’d be no use to Ven if she got hurt, or worse, trying to save him. “Anything you need.”

“Aqua, this is not about what _I_ need, but about what all of _you_ need. You have been trapped in the Darkness for over a decade. I cannot imagine the emotional and physical toll this has taken upon you. All of you have experienced trial after trial, with little break between.”

“You can say that again,” Sora sighed, and Riku nodded in silent agreement. 

“All of you have experienced trial after trial, with little break between,” Yen Sid repeated, his expression completely serious.

“He didn’t mean literally!” Kairi said, trying to hide her laugh with a hand.

Yen Sid’s cheeks tinged with pink. “Of course,” he coughed. “Regardless, I believe you are all in dire need of _rest._ ”

“Rest?” Aqua and Lea asked simultaneously. 

“But, Master, surely there’s _something_ we can be out there doing,” Lea protested.

“I agree!” Aqua said. “We don’t time to sit around and rest!”

“I know it isn’t easy, Aqua, Lea. But it is necessary. And I assure you, you both will be _doing something_ on this vacation. Lea, you and Kairi are still lacking training. Now that Master Aqua is returned to us…”

Aqua saw what he wanted. “You… you want _me_ to train them?”

“Yes, you. You are a Master, after all.”

She certainly didn’t feel like a Master. She wasn’t like Master Eraqus, she didn’t feel calm or centered, or even as balanced and in control as Eraqus had always been. But Yen Sid seemed to think she could train them. “If you truly believe I can, then I will do my best.”

“Hey, I’m sure you’ll do great!” Lea said, clamping a hand onto her shoulder. “You did just fine against three of us, after all! How hard can it be to train me and the Princess?”

Lea’s hand was warm against her skin, so warm, that it bordered on burning, as though he were running a fever. Something about the warmth was comforting; it reminded her of… campfires and fireplaces. It reminded her of home.

“While on your vacation,” Yen Sid began again. “Mickey, Donald, and Goofy will be out searching for any information on Castle Oblivion and Organization XIII.”

“So, where exactly will we be having this ‘vacation?’” Aqua asked, trying her best to ignore Lea’s hand.

Sora grinned and rested his hands behind his head. “That’s easy, Destiny Islands!”

“Don’t you guys like, live there? I’d say we visit… Twilight Town. Now _that’s_ a vacation spot!” Lea said.

“What about Beast’s Castle?” Kairi suggested. 

“Disney Town!” Riku suddenly shouted. “...I mean, if… that’s alright with everyone else.”

“How about,” Aqua said. “We go to all of those places? We can spend a few days in each.”

“The paths to these worlds should be relatively safe,” Yen Sid said, nodding in thought. “And these worlds will provide… _interesting_ challenges for Lea and Kairi. I approve.”

Sora grinned wildly. “Well then, what’re we waiting for? We have a beach to visit!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a long chapter, but we hope you enjoyed! We're going to Destiny Islands next chapter, hope you're excited!
> 
> -TheBlackSouledFox


	5. Fire and Sand

The sand under Lea’s bare feet was warm and soft as he made his way down to the shore where Sora, Riku, and Kairi awaited. The three of them had absolutely insisted that he and Aqua join them down at the beach the moment the gummi ship had landed on Destiny Islands. _We don’t have anything to wear,_ they’d protested at the same time. Sora and Riku had just exchanged devilish grins before presenting them both with swimsuits.

_We know how much you love moogles, Lea,_ Sora had said, grinning. _So we got you these!_ The trunks they’d given them had little moogles printed on them, similar to his pajamas pants.

His cheeks burned as he walked past more teenagers milling about the beach, but there was little he could do, he had no other options… and the moogles _were_ cute.

As he got closer to the beach, a familiar figure came into his line of sight. Lea stopped and blinked, the thought of his embarrassing swimwear completely leaving his mind as he saw _Roxas_ standing in the distance, his feet in the surf. His back was to Lea, his hands resting on his hips as he took in the sun.

Lea’s heart froze in his chest. How was Roxas _here?_ A part of him knew it was impossible for his best friend to be truly standing there, but another part, the part of him that hurt at the memory of Roxas, wanted to hope beyond that Roxas _had_ ended up here somehow.

His own voice suddenly rang in his head. _Let’s go to the beach the next time we have a day off!_

_What?_ Said Roxas’s voice. _Just the two of us?_

_Yeah,_ his own voice replied again. _Exactly! It’ll be a blast, trust me!_

He took a tentative step forward and called out. “Roxas…?”

But the instant Lea blinked, the illusion shattered, and he no longer saw his closest friend. Instead, he saw Sora, standing and laughing as Kairi sent a massive surge of water towards Riku.

Lea halted his step, clutching a hand to his chest. His heart ached at the sight of the three friends, laughing and playing together. The sight of Roxas fading felt like a knife through his chest; the pain of losing Roxas hadn’t dimmed; even a year later, it had only quieted.

“Heya, Lea,” said a voice from behind him, breaking him out of his stupor. “Who’re you staring at?”

It was Aqua, back from changing into her swimsuit. He turned to face her and- Lea started. The swimsuit the others had chosen for her was cute. _Very_ cute. The one-piece was designed with soft blues and whites, small ruffles at the bottom gave the appearance of a short skirt. The back was completely open, similar to her usual outfit.

Lea coughed into the back of his hand. “Nobody,” he answered, tearing his gaze away from Aqua. “Just uh, thinking. ‘Bout life.”

“Oh, I see,” Aqua replied, putting her hand to her chin and tapping a finger against her cheek. “Why haven’t you joined them?”

“I’ve never actually swam in the ocean before,” he said simply. While technically not a lie, it wasn’t the true reason he hadn’t hoped in with Sora, RIku, and Kairi. “It’s kinda scary; I could get eaten by the shark-less!”

Aqua laughed at that, and Lea’s heart jumped in response. Her laugh was soft and pealing, like a gentle bell. “Shark-less?” She questioned, still laughing. “Lucky for you, I don’t think there are any ‘shark-less’ roaming around.”

“That’s what they want you think,” Lea said, sighing dramatically. “Those shark-less are crafty ones. They get ya’ when you least expect it.”

“Riigghhhttt. And what’s the _real_ reason you’re hanging out back here instead of with your friends?”

Lea was quieted, his face turning somber. “I’m made of fire. I’ll go out if I touch water. Literally die.”

“Pfff, what?”

“It’s totally true!”

Aqua was silent for a moment. “You use fire magic?” She asked. The seriousness in her voice surprised him.

“Yeah. It’s my ‘thing’ I guess.”

“Can you show me?”

“What? Right now?”

Aqua nodded sagely. “If I’m going to be training you, I need a judge on your current abilities anyway. And since you apparently can’t swim…”

Lea put a palm to his forehead and groaned. “I guess I deserve that one.”

Aqua laughed again. “Okay, okay, let’s make a deal. You show me some fire magic, and then we can go swimming. Deal?”

“Who said I wanted to go swimming in the first place, Master?”

“You, judging by your outfit,” Aqua said, smiling.

“Alright, you caught me. I’ll dazzle you with some of my fireworks.”

Aqua rolled her eyes, but couldn’t hide her smile. “Is that so? Let’s start with something relatively simple,” she said, her keyblade appearing in her hand with a flash of light. She hopped back a few steps so there was ample space between them before leveling her keyblade at Lea with both hands.

A cool wind blew through the beach, rustling the leaves of the nearby palm trees. Aqua’s hair blew around her face as the wind picked up, and a hush fell over the beach; Lea could no longer hear the sounds of the teenagers laughing and splashing in the water. Aqua raised the keyblade above her head, and five orbs of whirling, spinning water began to float in front of her, hovering a few inches above the sand.

Aqua lowered her keyblade to her side. “Hit the orbs,” she instructed.

“That’s… it?” Lea eyed her suspiciously. There had to be some catch.

“That’s it.”

“If you say so, Master” he replied, widening his stance as he focused on the orbs. Lea’s heart began to race in his chest as he called on his inner fire; using his magic had always been exhilarating. Something about it felt cathartic almost, as though he was burning away his problems every time he used his fire.

Fire raced down his arms, curling around and gathering into each of his hands.The magic spread a familiar, comforting warmth throughout his body as it heated up. His heartbeat picked up even further, driving up his own temperature, as through his very blood had turned to fire. And it made him feel _alive._

The balls of fire in his palms became twice the size of his hands, then bigger. _More,_ it seemed to demand. So he gave it more. He fed his frustration into the flames; all the pain of losing Roxas, the pain of dying, but most of all, the pain of his loneliness. The flames grew hotter and larger until they burned almost white, burning so hot, even he could almost feel them start to singe his fingertips.

With a yell, he furled the fireballs at the orbs.They hit the sand with an explosive _foosh!_ sending a spray of sand in all directions. Lea’s breath came in heavy, ragged gasps; it had a solid hit, surely it had taken out a few of the orbs, if not all of them at once. 

Steam and vapor rose from the cater he’d created, obscuring his vision, but when it cleared, Lea saw that, to his shock, _none_ of the orbs had vanished. Aqua was still standing behind them, unmoving and unflinching, as though nothing had happened. The only evidence of the thrown orbs was the disturbed sand under the orbs.

Aqua’s eyes, still and calm, flicked to his. “Again,” she said simply.

The rage and frustration came flooding in all at once at her words. He wasn’t angry at her, but rather himself, at his own failures. The fire returned to his hands, his heart beating furiously within him; it felt as though his blood was boiling as the fire expanded and grew once again. This time, instead of thoughts of Roxas filling his mind and fueling his fire, someone else entirely began to occupy his mind.

_I know I won’t forget you,_ said Isa’s voice from within his mind. _Believe me, I try all the time._

_See,_ replied his own voice. _I’m immortal!_

_You’re_ obnoxious _,_ Isa laughed.

Lea hadn’t thought of the day he and Isa had met Ven in… a long time. He hadn’t allowed himself to think of Isa, to think of what they’d lost. Once, those memories had been a comfort to him, but now they only served to fuel his rage. The fire burned even brighter this time, growing larger and larger.

Before he could lose control of the magic, he hurled it towards the orbs again, yelling defiantly. As if responding to his heart, the orbs erupted and evolved as they hurtled through the air; instead of simple orbs, they elongated and twirled, turning into snake-like pillars that arced and twisted through the air before slamming once again into the orbs, causing another wave of sand and steam to sail into the air.

This time, before the vapor even cleared, Lea raised his arms and twisted his hands, sending the flames back up towards the sky. They snaked upwards, and Lea made a violent downward motion, sending the flames careening back downwards. They slammed into the sand again, though this time, the force of the fire hitting the floor forcibly extinguished them, leaving Lea panting and exerted.

It seemed putting his all into his attacks was a bad habit of his.

Sunlight filtered through the steam and water vapor, creating soft rainbows that shimmered and shifted as the steam drifted upward. When it finally cleared, all the rage and frustration Lea had been feeling suddenly evaporated. Where the orbs had been, the sand below was completely displaced, leaving behind a sizable crater. Aqua was still standing where she had been, only this time, a shimmering barrier of magic completely surrounded her, protecting her from Lea’s onslaught of magic.

Lea’s hands shook a bit as he straightened up. He hadn’t intended to lose control like that; he hadn’t even expected he would. Normally, control came as easy to him as breathing. But this time… this time, something in him had snapped. Admittedly, after the outburst, he felt better; though the pain was still there, it felt settled somehow. He was so used to hiding how he felt from the world, that letting it all out at once was… _relieving_.

Aqua looked at him for a moment before carefully picking her away across the torn up sand. When she was directly in front of him, she began to speak. “Lea-”

“That was awesome!” She was cut off by Sora, who suddenly came up from behind Lea and clapped him sharply on the shoulder, a wide smile on his face. “How’d you do that?”

Kairi and Riku were right behind him, Kairi’s eyes were sparkling with something akin to amazement, but Riku’s were more analytical.

“I, uh-” he scrambled for words, his eyes completely focused on Aqua. Her own eyes were staring intently back. “It’s all about practice, Sora,” he forced a laugh. “Something you have no clue about, I bet.”

Sora wrinkled his nose as Kairi and Riku laughed. “Har har, very funny, Lea,” he complained, but the smile still remained on his face.

As the three teenagers laughed and pushed each other playfully back toward the sea. As the trio made their down, Lea saw Sora slowly reach for Kairi’s hand. She gave him a surprised look as their hands touched, but smiled warmly as she entwined her fingers in his.

“Well!” Lea said with a laugh that sounded fake even to him. “What a show! I think after all that heat, I need to cool off. I think we had a deal, didn’t we _Master_?” 

The look in Aqua’s eyes faded as she smiled. “We did,” she said. Her gaze suddenly drifted behind him, toward the sea. “Bet I can beat you there.”

“What? You wanna race me? Oh, you’re so on.” The sudden shift in atmosphere was relieving; Lea never did like it when things became serious. A small smile formed on his face.

“On the count of three, or one?” Aqua commanded, widening her stance. Her eyes were glinting with something Lea recognized as a competitive thrill. It seemed even the Master liked to compete every now and then.

“Whatever you want,” Lea replied, readying himself. “It won’t matter when I totally leave you in the dust.”

“Three it is,” Aqua said. “Ready? One… two-”

Before Aqua could even begin to form the word “three,” Lea pushed off the sand, launching himself towards the surf, laughing wildly. Sand kicked up and sprayed into the air with each of his footsteps, sticking to his feet, ankles, and calves.

“Wha- hey!” Aqua cried out from behind him, pushing off and giving chase as Lea raced for the ocean. “You cheater!”

“All’s fair in love and war, Master!” Lea called over his shoulder as he pushed himself to run faster; despite his head start, Aqua was catching up quick. 

As the surf inched closer, Lea let himself laugh again, openly and freely. Something about racing with Aqua made Lea feel young again, like he was still a teenager in Radiant Garden, getting up to trouble with Isa. Despite all the rage and frustration he’d been feeling only minutes earlier, it was nice to feel like a kid again. Even if it was for a moment, he felt almost normal, like he was just a regular person at the beach with his friends.

Aqua caught up with him a few feet away from the lapping waves, and they were neck and neck when they both crashed into the ocean. Lea and Aqua stopped when they were about waist deep in the waves, both of them breathing heavily. “Looks like we’ll have to have a rematch, Master,” Lea said with a breathy laugh. “We tied.”

“We only tied because you cheated, you jerk!” Aqua retorted. She reached into the surf and sent a large wave of sea water crashing into Lea.

Lea blocked most of the wave with his hands, but much of the water still hit him, soaking his skin. “Don’t start fights you can’t win, Master,” he laughed. 

“Oh please,” she snorted. “Fire may be your thing, Lea, but water is _mine._ ”

Lea realized his mistake as Aqua raised her arms, and a surge of saltwater followed, rising in height until it towered over Lea. “W-wait, Aqua,” he stammered, backing up. “We can negotiate!” 

“What was that you said? ‘All’s fair in love and war?’” Aqua said with a devilish grin as she made a pushing motion with her arms. The water, as though a living creature, writhed forward. The last thing Lea saw was a wall of pure water, a sudden darkness, and then nothing as the wall slammed into him, and the ocean swallowed him.

~

Destiny Islands had been the same as Aqua remembered them; very little was different from the last time she’d seen it. Seeing how little of this world around her had been changed in her absence made her feel a bit nostalgic; a part of her wished her life had been like these islands, seldom changing and ever constant.

Her mind was pulled back into the present as Lea suddenly emerged from where her wave had pulled him under, gasping and spluttering. His hair, now completely soaked, clung to his face and skin, and where it was once spikey and all over the place, it now lay completely flat. “Hey,” he coughed roughly. “You didn’t have to go and make me all wet!”

“Lea… we’re standing in the ocean. You were already wet.”

“Yeah, well… but my hair...”

Aqua laughed. She thought back earlier, when she’d asked him to show her his magic. While it had been true she’d wanted a measure of his abilities, that hadn’t been the only reason she’d suggested the impromptu training. When she’d first seen him, standing alone and watching Sora, Riku, and Kairi, she’d seen the tension in his muscles, they way his jaw had tightened. Something had clearly been bothering him.

From what she knew of Lea, he’d probably never tell her outright if something was wrong. So instead of prying, she tried something else instead. She’d come up with attacking the orbs not only as a simple training exercise, but as a way for Lea to blow off some steam. And judging by the way he’s obliterated the orbs, it was much needed.

The race though, that had been purely for her own amusement. Though she hadn’t expected Lea to cheat, hitting him with the wave of water felt totally justified. If she was being honest, she’d suggest the race as a way for _her_ to blow off some steam, too. Even with Lea playing unfairly, the feeling of running, of the wind blowing through her hair, had been refreshing.

“You totally deserve it for cheating,” she said, still laughing. 

Lea huffed. “It’s not cheating! It’s just... evening the playing field, that’s all.”

Once again Aqua got the feeling Lea was a lot smarter than he let on; whether he hid this intelligence wittingly or if it was unintentional, however, Aqua wasn’t sure. Lea had known probably couldn’t beat her in a fair race, so he’d “evened the playing field,” as he put it. His observation skills were impressive, but his willingness to forgo fairness in order to win was worrying.

Something about it reminded her of Terra.

The sun suddenly dipped under the horizon, casting the beach in a red-orange glow. Aqua turned back to Lea and almost jumped; the light hitting his hair made it glow, almost as though it were aflame. He looked at her, tilting his head a bit. “What’s wrong?” He asked.  
As his hair shifted, the light shifted with it too, revealing soft, orangey-red undertones in his hair she hadn’t seen before. “Oh, it’s just-”

“Hey!” Sora called from the shoreline, cutting her off. Kairi and Riku stood on either side of him, covered in sand and smiling. Kairi’s hand was entwined with Sora’s. “We’re goin’ home for tonight, we thought we’d show you where you guys can stay for the night.”

Aqua looked back to Lea, who shrugged. The two waded out of the water and joined the trio, who began walking towards a set of wooden structures that Aqua assumed to be small cottages, or perhaps something more akin to tree houses. With Sora leading, they eventually stopped in front of the door to a modest-sized cottage. Sora opened it and stepped inside, allowing Aqua and Lea to peek in.

Aqua’s first thought upon seeing the cottage was _homey._ White linen had been draped over the windows, allowing soft light to filter through. Small, glass stars hung from the ceiling, glittering in the evening light. A small kitchen and dining table took up the entirety of the main room; the only other room Aqua could see was a small hall leading off to the left that ended in a door.

“Ta-da! Sora said, moving his arms as though he were a magician revealing a trick. “Pretty nice right? It belongs to my parents, they’re let us borrow it for a few days.”

“It’s nice,” Aqua replied, smiling as she entered. “It feels… cozy.”

Lea followed and immediately headed for the door on the left. When he cracked it open, his eyes widened. “Hey, not to sound, y’know, _ungrateful_ or anything, but… this bedroom only has one bed.”

“Oh, yeah, about that,” Sora laughed awkwardly. “Since this was so short notice, this was the best we could do.”

“The best you could do?” Lea scratched the back of his head before casting a glance towards Aqua. “Well, it’s nothing I’m not used too.”

Aqua felt heat rise in her cheeks; she hadn’t shared a bed with anyone since she and Terra were kids, and they used to have impromptu sleepovers in each others’ rooms. But she and Lea were adults, it was nothing she couldn’t handle… right?

“Thank you, Sora,” she said, banishing her thoughts. “We really appreciate it.”

Sora grinned. “No problem! We’ll see you guys tomorrow!” 

Sora left to room and closed the door behind them, leaving Aqua completely alone with Lea.

“Well,” he said, clapping his hands together as if to dispel the awkwardness. “I call dibs on the bathroom.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed, as always :D This one was both fun and challenging to write!
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> -TheBlackSouledFox


	6. Evening Blues

True to his word, Lea darted into the bathroom the moment he’d spoken, moving before Aqua could so much as protest. With nothing else to do until he returned, Aqua set off to explore the lodgings they’d been loaned. The sounds of the shower being turned on suddenly filled the house as Aqua walked into the central room.

Light danced across the walls and floors as the stars hanging from the ceiling spun in lazy twists. As Aqua fully entered the room for the first time, she saw a white loveseat that had previously hidden by the hallway wall pushed against the wall opposite the kitchen; a coffee table accompanied it, resting on top of a plush throw rug. A window was situated directly over the loveseat, casting the area in warm light.

All in all, the little house looked cozy; a look completed by the pictures of Sora’s family adorning the walls. One picture that caught her eye was of a younger Sora, Riku, and Kairi hanging in the small kitchen. They looked to be a bit older than the first time Aqua had met them. Sora standing was in between Riku and Kairi, his arms around both of them. They all had smiles on their faces, their eyes bright with childish innocence as the sun set over the ocean behind them.

Aqua sighed, putting her fingertips to the frame. She, Terra, and Ven had once taken a photo like that. It had been a bright and sunny day, and the three of them had begged Eraqus to take their photo. The Master had dug up an old camera from somewhere within the castle, and they’d dragged him outside. They’d all taken turns taking each other’s pictures, laughing and smiling the whole time.

That day seemed like a lifetime ago; back when her biggest worry was passing the Mark of Mastery exam. 

She pulled away from the picture and the memories it brought back. “I’ll find you two,” she whispered. “I promise.” 

Turning towards the dining room table on the left side of the room, she found that someone, probably Sora had left the two bags she’d packed earlier on top of it. She sighed with relief, she could finally change into something more comfy while she waited for the shower. Her relief came to abrupt end, however, when she saw that next to her two bags sat two more identical looking ones that she assumed were Lea’s, making it impossible to tell which was hers.

Not wanting to snoop through Lea’s things, but also not wanting to remain in her wet swimsuit any longer, Aqua grabbed the bag nearest to her and opened it. She sighed with relief when she saw her own clothes inside. She pushed it aside, far away from the others. _We really need to label these,_ she thought to herself as she grabbed another bag.

When she opened this one, instead of finding more of her clothes, she found an assortment of _things._ Clothes sat on the bottom, but on top of them, little objects and other miscellaneous things littered the bag. Realizing the bag definitely belonged to Lea, she began to push it aside when something inside of it caught her eye. A soft, blue and white sea shell had been carefully placed inside the bag, it was nestled within Lea’s clothing, and had obviously been packed with care.

Oddly enough, Aqua had seen similar shells on the beach here on Destiny Islands. But hadn’t Lea said he’d never been to the ocean before? Curious to take a closer look, she reached for it. When she pulled it out of the bag, however, something else clattered out. The object, long and thin, bounced off the edge of the table and the the floor.

Aqua winced, but luckily, it seemed as though Lea was still in the shower. She placed the shell back inside Lea’s bag and reached down for what had dropped. Aqua’s eyes narrowed in confusion as her fingers closed around… a popsicle stick? She held it up to the light, taking a closer look. On one side, the word WINNER was printed in faded black ink, but it was otherwise plain.

Before she could contemplate it further, the sound of the water suddenly stopped. Aqua returned the popsicle stick to the bag and closed it, quickly.. In one hand, she grabbed her own bag, and she grabbed Lea’s with the other. She rushed back into the bedroom and tossed her bag onto the queen-sized bed before knocking on the bathroom door.

“Lea?” She called. “You, uh, kinda forgot your clothes.”

There was a moment of silence. “So I did,” Lea called back through the door. “That’s, ah, hmm... reaaally unfortunate. Could you do a friend a favor and maybe... bring them here?”

“Lucky for you, I’m very nice,” Aqua said, laughing a bit. “I have them for you already.”

“Aw, you shouldn’t have,” Lea replied as the door cracked open a sliver. A moment later, his head and shoulders, completely soaked with water, poked out; his hair dripped water onto the floor, creating a small puddle. He gave her a sheepish smile, and her cheeks heated.

“Here,” she said, looking away and holding out the bag to him with one hand.

“Thank yoouuuuu,” he drawled, taking it from her. “You’re the best!”

“And you’re a dork” she said, the heat in her cheeks persisting. Why was she so embarrassed? She’d _just_ seen him shirtless awhile ago, and this was no different.

Lea gave her a final grin before disappearing behind the door again, the door closing with a soft click. Aqua stared at the closed door, her heart pounding in her chest. 

What in the world was wrong with her?

~  
“This is fine right?” Aqua asked.

“Yes, Aqua, I promise it’s fine,” Lea responded, a bit deadpan.

“Well, I just don’t want to invade your space, is all.”

“It’s all good Aqua, really.”

The two were lying back to back in the bed, both under the soft covers. The bed had looked big, but actually getting into it was a different story; it was starting to feel a lot smaller than it actually was. When she’d finally gotten her turn in the shower, she’d come out to find Lea already in bed under the covers, reclining back. She joined him, laying down in the space he’d left, and even though there was a good foot and a half of space between them, Aqua could feel the warmth radiating from Lea, warming her as well. She was suddenly grateful for the soft, lightweight pajamas Kairi had given her; with Lea sleeping next to her, the bed was surely going to go from warm to hot rather quickly.

His warmth was comforting and familiar, a sensation she was finding herself enjoying. It made her want to move closer to Lea, let herself be immersed in his warmth. This warmth wasn’t like his fire on the beach, all rage and pain. This warmth was kind, like a welcoming fireplace. It made her feel safe.

She stopped herself. _Get a hold of yourself!_ She scolded. _You_ just _met him, stop it!_ She was glad she was facing away from Lea, so he couldn’t see her face and burning cheeks.

Lea suddenly shifted. “Hey, Aqua,” he said, his voice contemplative.

Aqua, started, the heat from her cheeks evaporating. She rolled over and found he was facing her, his head propped up on his hand. His eyes were trained on her face. “Yeah?”

“Did I ever tell you about the time I met Ven?”

“You met Ven?”

“Mhmm. A long time ago. It was the same day I hit you with the frisbee.”

“How’d you two meet?”

“I ran into him in the square, and he seemed real down, so I…” Lea looked away, clearly embarrassed. “I… challenged him to a fight, to try and cheer him up, ya know? And he totally kicked my a-”

Aqua laughed, interrupting him. “Did you really lose that badly?”

“Hey, I didn’t even have a proper weapon, cut me some slack, Aqua!”

“What, did you fight him with your frisbees?” Lea was silent, his cheeks tinting pink. “You did! You tried to fight Ven with your frisbees!”

“Listen, I was young, and I thought they were cool, don’t judge!”

“Thought they were cool, huh?” Aqua laughed. “Do you _still_ think that?”

“You’re just jealous of my awesome frisbees.”

“Uh huh.”

“Did _you_ ever have sick frisbees like that? Don’t think so... _Anyway,_ the point is, Ven is good guy. I know you’re upset at not being able to save him just yet, but… I know he’s tough, he’ll be alright. He knows you’ll save him.” 

Aqua’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes suddenly beginning to water. “Thank you, Lea. I just… I miss him so much. Him and Terra”

Lea’s eyes saddened. “I think I know what you mean,” he said. Aqua got the feeling he knew _exactly_ what she was talking about. “It’s hard,” he continued, his voice dropping to a whisper. “It’s hard watching your friends hurt, and not being able to do anything about it.”

“Lea…” Aqua had a feeling this was more than just about her and Ven, this was also about whatever had been bothering him that afternoon. 

“Sometimes, no matter what you do, you just… _can’t_ fix things right then, no matter how much you want too. Best you can hope for is the chance to fix it later, you know?”

His eyes slid away from Aqua’s face. “Anyway,” he coughed, his eyes snapping back to hers. “I was trying to, like, make you feel better about Ven, but I think I kinda... failed.” He tacked on a small laugh at the end.

Aqua shook her head. “No, Lea, you didn’t.” A part of her wanted to reach out to him, to comfort him as he had tried too with her. She stopped herself from acting on the impulse, only giving him a smile. “I really appreciate you just talking about it… I think I needed to hear that, so, thank you.”

“Yeah, don’t mention it,” he rolled onto his back. “After all, my real ‘thing’ is talking. Could do it all day! Or all night, as it turns out.”

Aqua smiled at that. “Well, I think we should get some sleep, Mister Chatterbox. We have a bunch of teenagers to look after tomorrow… and the next few days.”

Lea groaned. “Babysitting, my favorite activity. You sure we can’t leave them on their own?”

“I think Yen Sid would have a heart attack if he knew we left those three to their own devices.”

“At this rate, I think he’s gonna have a heart attack at any moment.”

Aqua giggled. “Goodnight, Lea,” she said, rolling back over.

“‘Night, Aqua.”

They were back to back again, but Aqua swore the space between them had shrunk. Aqua could feel every breath Lea took, in and out. A few minutes passed, and his breathing deepened; he must’ve fallen asleep.

She closed her eyes and reached a hand into her breast pocket. Her fingers closed around her wayfinder, and she gave it a small squeeze as she pulled it out. She clutched it tightly as she began to drift off.

_Hold on, Ven, Terra… I’m coming._


	7. Moonlighting

Aqua knew she was dreaming again the second her eyes opened. “No…” she whispered, taking in her surroundings. Her dream had taken her back to the Realm of Darkness, back to the fallen Enchanted Dominion. She was surrounded by thick, spiky vines on all sides, even the floor under her was littered with the stuff.

“Why?!” She called out. “Why am I here?!” 

Of course, nothing answered. There was only unwavering silence, the same silence that had been her constant companion for over a decade. 

She spun in a slow circle, looking for anything that might help her escape. She she looked, a smote of light suddenly began to descend from the dark sky in a lazy spiral, leaving a sparkling trail that dissipated in its wake.

A part of her desperately hope it was one of her friends, but those hopes were dashed as the smote of light crashed into the floor. In a flash of the light, the smote took the shape of a person; someone she was all too familiar with.

Herself.

“Hello, Aqua,” the fake her sneered. “Long time no see.” 

“I-... I _destroyed_ you, how are you here?!” Aqua summoned her keyblade, backing away from the other version of herself.

The other Aqua took a step forward, and Aqua leveled her keyblade at her chest. “Oh, Aqua, you still don’t understand, do you?”

“Enough! I don’t need you to explain anything to me!”

“You can never completely destroy the darkness in your heart,” the other Aqua said, ignoring both Aqua’s words and the keyblade pointed at her. “I will _always_ be a part of you.”

“Shut up!” Aqua’s keyblade wavered, and the other her laughed.

“The sooner you accept me, Aqua, the happier you’ll be.”

“I don’t need you to be happy,” Aqua snarled. “The Light will always prevail over the likes of you!”

“The likes of me? Oh, that’s rich,” the other Aqua laughed again. “I _am_ you, idiot.”

“You are _not_ me!”

“Keep denying it if that makes you feel better, Aqua. But you know the truth, deep down inside your heart… don’t you? Don’t bother answering that, I already know what you’ll say.”

“You know nothing about me,” Aqua scowled. “Don’t talk like you do!”

“But I _do_ know you Aqua, I know you better than anyone… would you like me to prove it?”

“I want you to leave me the hell alone.”

The other her ignored Aqua again. “You blame yourself for what happened to Terra and Ventus. It scares you that what happened might have been your fault; and you hate yourself for not saving them. But most of all? You’re terrified that your sacrifice meant _nothing._ ”

“I know my sacrifice meant something! It… it had to!”

The other her smirked. “That’s what you tell yourself to feel better. But the truth is… you’re terrified. And you’re scared that the others will see it… see _me._ ”

“That’s-!”

“Oh my,” the other Aqua cut her off, tilted her head as if listening to something. “It looks like someone else is here. My time is up, it seems. But don’t worry, Aqua, I will _always_ be with you.”

Her other self laughed, and the dream began to blur and shift. As the other Aqua faded along with Enchanted Dominion, her laugh echoed inside Aqua’s skull, eventually fading into silence once again.

When Aqua’s surroundings finally snapped into focus, she realized she recognized none of it. She was surrounded by dark skyscrapers and alleyways; bright neon adorned most of the buildings, making the world glow even in the darkness of the night. Rain poured from the sky, the thick rain clouds blocking out the moon.

Aqua was breathing heavily; even if this was a dream, the encounter with her other self had left her physically dreamed, as though she’d actually fought her. At least she seemed to be gone for now.

Aqua took a few deep breaths, slowing down her frenzied heartbeat and trying to calm down before looking around. She couldn’t trust the other Aqua as far as she could throw her, but what had she meant by “someone else is here?”

She looked around again. “Hello?” She called out. 

“ _Get away from me!_ ” A voice called out from the distance. Aqua was startled to find that she actually recognized the voice.

“Lea?!” She called out.

“Back _off!_ ” He shouted; Aqua got the feeling he wasn’t talking to her. She ran in the direction of his voice, weaving through alleys and empty streets that twisted and turned. This world, wherever it was, felt like a labyrinth, and she soon lost all sense of direction.

“Lea, where are you?!” She called out again, hoping he could hear her.

“ _You were supposed to be my friend!_ ” 

_There,_ his voice was off to her left, now. She swerved into the nearest alley, running full tilt for Lea.

“You’re the one that changed, _Axel._ ” This voice was different from Lea’s, it was colder, and had a ruthless edge to it. But who was Axel? She pushed the question aside, right now her biggest concern was finding Lea.

“ _That’s not my name._ ” Lea spoke again.

“Isn’t it, though? What have you done that’s different from before? You’re still nothing but a schemer and a traitor.”

“I’m not.. I didn’t…”

“How easily you murdered Vexen and Zexion.” 

“...Shut up…”

“Zexion trusted you, he thought of you as a friend, and look where that got him. They called me the cruel one, but I think the true monster-”

“Shut up!”

“...Is _you._. How long will it take you to betray your new friends, I wonder?”

“Shut… _UP!_ ”

As their argument escalated, Aqua rounded a corner, and the environment suddenly opened up. She now found herself look into a wide city square, completely empty save for a few streetlamps. In the center stood too figures facing each other; she recognized the one on the right as Lea, though, he was dressed in the coat she’d once seen Ansem wear. The other figure, also dressed in a similar coat, was completely foreign to her. His hair, long enough to reach almost midway to his back, was a soft blue, so light it almost appeared white in the streetlights. Across the bridge of his nose, forehead, and upper cheeks was an X-shaped scar. His eyes burned gold. A name popped into her head as she watched. _Saïx_ Where it came from, she had no idea.

“Lea!” She called. “You can’t listen to him, this isn’t real!”

Lea looked down, holding his hands out to either side of him. He didn’t react to Aqua’s voice, as though he hadn’t heard her at all. He looked back up, his gaze meeting Saïx’s, and a whirl of fire danced down both arms, gathering in his hands and forming a solid, circular shape. His chakrams.

 _Wait,_ she thought. _How do I know that?_ She’d never seen them before in her life.

“I should have known that would be your first response, Axel. You always were such a… brash and unwise individual.”

“At least I can feel _something,_ ” he spit.

Saïx put a hand over his shoulder, white energy racing down his arm in a similar fashion to Lea. He flung his arm back, a large, imposing claymore forming in a flash of white within his hand. “Don’t lie to yourself, Axel. We both know how ruthless you truly are.” 

“Everything I did, I did for _us,_ ” Lea scowled. His chakrams began spinning rapidly in his hands, igniting as they did so. “I did it all for _you._ ”

“You changed, Axel. You became selfish. You forgot about _us._ You left me behind. Did you ever care about me, after all that happened?”

“ _I loved you,_ ” Lea’s eyes were alight with rage. Rage and heartbreak. “Of course I cared!”

 _Love?_ Something dark twinged in Aqua’s heart. In the back of her mind, she could’ve sworn she heard her other self’s laugh echo through her mind once again.

“You never loved anyone, Axel. You were selfish and foolish then, and you always will be. You truly are… heartless.”

Lea screamed, flinging one of the chakrams at Saïx. It arced through the air, shedding sparks as it flew. Saïx maneuvered his claymore in front of him, deflecting the chakram off the blade. It ricocheted off in Aqua’s direction, heading straight for her. Aqua yelped, summoning her keyblade as the spinning chakram neared. She got her keyblade up just in time; the chakram slammed into her keyblade, inches away from her face. The spikes on the outer rings caught on the blade, abruptly stopping the chakram’s spin. It clattered to the floor at her feet, its fires extinguished.

“Lea!” She tried again. “You can’t let the dream win! Fight it!”

For the first time, Lea looked towards her. “Aqua…?”

“Ignore her, she’s nothing. We have business to settle, Axel.”

Lea’s eyes drifted down, towards the chakram at Aqua’s feet. Aqua scooped it up, the metal still warm in her hands. She took a few steps towards Lea. “Lea, don’t listen to him! He’s not real!” 

“How are you here…?” 

“AXEL!” Saïx shouted. “Enough! I’ve let you prattle on for too long. It’s time to finish this,” he hefted his claymore upward, leveling it with Lea’s chest.

Lea turned his attention back to Saïx, and Aqua, sensing the fight that was about to break out, ran for Lea, still holding his missing chakram. It twin was inert in his other hand, its fire long since gone out. She made it to him and pushed the chakram into his empty hand. He grabbed it uncertainly. “You’re not alone, Lea, we can fight him together.”

Lea’s green eyes, distraught and full of sorrow, turned to her. “Aqua, I don’t understand. How are you here?”

“That doesn’t matter, we have bigger problems to worry about!” She pointed towards Saïx, who had shouldered his claymore and began advancing on them. Her keyblade appeared in her hand as she readied herself for his approach.

Aqua didn’t understand the history between Saïx and Lea, or why Saïx kept calling Lea “Axel,” but she did know that Lea needed her right now, and that was more important than sating her curiosity.

“Lea, listen. It’s like you said right? We can fix things later, but right now, we need to focus on what we _can_ do! We can’t change the past!”

Lea shut his eyes tightly. “You know, Aqua, that’s true and all… but it’s _really_ bad at making people feel better.”

“I’ll cheer you up later, for now, worry about Saïx!” 

Lea looked to her, then the slowly approaching Saïx. “I think I’ll take you up on that offer, Master,” he readied his chakrams again, setting them ablaze as the began to spin again.

“We attack together,” Aqua ordered. Lea nodded, not taking his eyes off of the encroaching Luna Diviner. “On my signal, and… try not to go early this time.”

“No promises, Aqua.”

Aqua’s eyes returned to Saïx, who suddenly stopped. The clouds suddenly parted, revealing a heart-shaped moon in the sky. Saïx turned his face toward it in reverie. “Moon…” he breathed. “SHINE DOWN!” Aqua watched as Saïx’s eyes suddenly turned completely golden, the pupils and whites of his eyes becoming swallowed in the gold. His canines seemed to elongate, each of his teeth becoming sharp and pointed, like a wolf’s. 

Saïx slammed the claymore on the ground, suddenly breaking into a sprint, dragging it behind him. The ground cracked and shuddered as he approached, The claymore pushed upwards as he reached the pair, splinters of ruined street and gravel flying up from the force.

The voice from before, once collected and calm, was now one of pure rage and hatred. “AAAAXEEEEEL!”

Aqua darted to the left, completely avoiding his attack. But Lea raised one his chakrams and blocked the claymore completely. He absorbed the impact of the attack, the asphalt underneath him cracking with the force. Lea pushed off the claymore, knocking it to the side and out of Saïx’s hand. He drove the other chakram forward, connecting with Saïx’s abdomen. Aqua, seeing the opportunity, launched towards Saix, attack from his right side. She swung, her keyblade hitting just under the point where Lea’s chakram had.

The force of their combined attack sent Saïx careening backwards. It was a solid hit, but Saïx hardly seem phased; he tanked the hit, rising to his feet as though nothing had happened. Another claymore appeared in his hand, the discarded one fading from where it lay.

“NOW!” Aqua yelled, pointing her keyblade at him. She summoned her water magic, and she soon found herself floating in an opaque bubble, unable to move but surrounded by the familiar magic. Lea had a similar idea; his chakrams and arms were completely coated in writing fire. His fire hissed as it made contact with the rain, but didn’t fizzle out.

Aqua made a slashing motion and a host of bubbles, glittering and gleaming in the neon lights, shot for Saïx. Simultaneously, Lea gave his chakrams one final spin before hurling them towards the Luna Diviner. 

Aqua’s bubbles and Lea’s chakrams slammed into Saïx at the same time, creating a plume of steam. As Aqua’s bubbles continued their onslaught, Lea’s chakrams circled tightly around Saïx, occasionally cutting in close for a hit before returning to their circling. 

Saïx roared, swinging his claymore. With a loud clash of metal, the chakrams were battered aside and hit the floor, and the bubbles disintegrated with a flurry of soft _pop_ s. The fire fizzled from Saïx’s attack, and the man quickly turned his eyes towards Aqua.

“MOVE ASIDE!” He hefted the claymore, spinning it in his hand, before flinging it at Aqua.

Aqua, still stuck in her bubble, could only watch as the claymore spiraled end over end towards her. Her expression morphed into shock, before instincts took over and she could only close her eyes and anticipate the claymore. She crossed her arms into an X in front of her, hoping to at least keep the claymore from damaging anything vital. 

Except the claymore never hit her. 

“AQUA!” She opened her eyes, one at a time, still anticipating the hit. Between her and the weapon stood Lea, a grimace on his face as the claymore clattered to floor. Aqua understood what happened instantly; he’d leaped in front of the claymore, letting it hit him instead of her.

“Lea!” He staggered, but remained standing. The bubble dissipated, dropping Aqua to her feet. “Are you alright?”

“We don’t have time for that, Master…” As if on cue, a loud, primal yell erupted from behind them. Saïx was in the air above them, claymore in hand. He rocketed towards the ground, and Aqua and Lea just barely dodging out of the way. Pieces of the street clacked and clattered as they hit the ground, Saïx standing in the epicenter of the crater he’d created.

Lea flicked his wrists, and the chakrams lifted off the ground and returned to his hands. “This guy’s impossible,” Aqua cursed. “How do we beat him?”

Lea’s eyes, which Aqua noted appeared to be glassy and distant, narrowed. “When he’s like this… he doesn't think. It’s pure rage and adrenaline.”

“So we can bait him?”

“We can bait him. Distract him, and I’ll attack... try to get him to drop a claymore.”

Aqua breathed heavily, watching Saïx climb out of the crater he’d just created, yet another claymore in hand. “Okay, on your mark.”

“Now,” Lea breathed. Aqua darted forward, alone. Even in his enraged state, Saïx seemed surprised by the move. As Aqua got with in range, she sent magic through her keyblade, which became coated in ice. She hurled it at Saïx, the keyblade arcing through the air. Even in his enraged state, Saïx seemed surprised by her sudden solo attack. 

Aqua’s aim was true. Her keyblade slammed into Saïx’s right wrist, and ice coated his arm all the way up to his shoulder. Saïx howled, dropping the claymore as Aqua’s keyblade returned to her. Saïx’s muscles tensed, he seemed to be preparing to lunge for Aqua.

_Any time now, Lea…_

As if reading her mind, Lea suddenly appeared behind Saïx, moving so fast it almost seemed as though he’d teleported. Aqua blinked in surprise, not even she had noticed Lea maneuvering around behind the Luna Diviner. Lea grabbed the hilt of Saïx’s abandoned claymore, hauling it upwards, above Saïx’s head.

Saïx noticed this a moment too late, turning in time only to see Lea bring the claymore down, striking Saïx across his back. 

The force of Lea’s attack sent Saïx flying forward, straight towards Aqua. Like a batter, Aqua swung towards Saïx as he neared, slamming her keyblade full force into him, sending him to the floor. Before Saïx could recover, Lea swooped in once again with the claymore, bringing it down on top of Saïx’s body.

The claymore slammed into Saïx’s chest, and the asphalt under him cracked and splintered. With a flash of light, the claymore vanished, leaving Lea standing over Saïx, exerted and weaponless.

Saïx’s eyes were closed, he was seemingly unconscious. “Lea,” Aqua panted. “I think we did i-” Lea staggered forward, his face pale. “Lea!” 

Aqua darted forward, hopping over Saïx’s comatose form and catching Lea before he face-planted into the asphalt. “This is, by far, the most realistic-feeling dream I’ve ever had,” he groaned from Aqua’s arms.

“You lied,” she scolded, ignoring him. “That claymore seriously hurt you.”

“Nah it’s not serious, just hurts like a bi-”

A hand, sharp and cold, wrapped itself around Aqua’s ankle, making her yelp. She looked down to find a very conscious Saïx, his eyes, once again their normal color, glowing in anger, his hand tightly gripping Aqua’s ankle. He yanked, pulling Aqua off her feet and making her drop Lea. They both crashed hard into the asphalt, rolling several feet apart from each other.

Aqua groaned as her head throbbed. Her vision was blurred, but she could still see Saïx enter her vision as he stood over it, another claymore in hand. “Farewell, Aqua,” he breathed, raising the claymore above him head with both hands, preparing to strike down.

Lea didn’t jump in to save her this time as Saïx brought the claymore down, slamming it into her upper abdomen. As pain rocketed through Aqua’s body, the dream began to melt away, her eyes closing. 

“No,” she pleaded. “Lea... “

Saïx brought the claymore down again, and the dream shattered into nothing.


	8. Simmer

The first thing Aqua felt upon waking was a comforting, all-encompassing warmth that seemed to cradle her entire body. She snuggled deeper into it, content to just fall asleep again. As she nuzzled closer to the source of the warmth, she bumped into something solid. Suddenly more awake, she became more aware of her surroundings.

Her breath caught in her throat as she realized exactly what position she was in.

She was on her side, like she had been when she’d fallen asleep; her wayfinder was still clutched in her left hand. But… but somehow, during the night, she Lea had become pressed together, with Aqua’s back pressed against Lea’s chest. Their legs were tangled together, and Lea’s arms were around Aqua’s waist, encircling her, his face nuzzled into her neck. Aqua’s right hand rested in Lea’s left, their fingers clasped tightly together. Lea’s fingers twitched and spazzamed, as though he were dreami-

_The dream!_ The memory of her dream suddenly rushed back to her, and she forced herself awake. Lea was still dreaming, stuck in his battle with… with… the man’s names escaped her, lost to her memory.

She twisted in Lea’s grasp, untangling from him.

“Lea! Lea, wake up!” She grabbed his shoulders, roughly shaking him in an attempt to wake him from his slumber. “Lea, it’s not real, you need to-” 

~

“-wake up!” The sound of Aqua’s voice was faint, and distant; he could barely hear it over his own breathing. Axel tried to pick himself up off the ground, but the pain in his back became too much, forcing him to stop. 

He looked up, staring in shock at where Aqua had been only heartbeats before. She’d said this was a dream, but it felt so real, so lifelike. No dream could hurt this much, right? Saïx turned to face him once again, a cold smile on his face.

“Aqua…” Axel murmured.

“Useless, Axel,” Saïx spat. “You couldn’t save anyone. Vexen, Zexion.” With each name, the Luna Diviner took a calm step forward, claymore in hand.

“You don’t know anythi-” 

“Roxas.”

Axel’s heart felt like it’d stopped in his chest, but Saïx kept going.

“#@^X.” Axel watched Saïx‘s mouth move, his lips forming words, but whatever he said made no sense, as though Saïx were speaking a different language. Axel had no idea what he said, but he was hit by a wave of sadness. For a brief moment, the memory of a girl with blue eyes and black hair flashed through his mind, but as soon as she appeared, she was gone, as though she hadn’t been there in the first place.

“W...what? What did you say?”

“And now, Aqua.” He stopped, mere inches from Axel’s incapacitated form. The claymore’s spiked edge hovered inches from his face. “You truly are useless. You failed them.” 

“You… You _really_ can’t learn to shut up, huh?”

Saïx moved the claymore under Lea’s chin and forced him to look up until their eyes met. “You failed _me._ "

Another memory flashed through Axel’s mind. He was back in Radiant Garden, sitting on the edge of the fountain square with Isa, who had his nose in a book. He remembered this day vividly, as though it had happened days ago rather than almost a decade. He’d been seventeen at the time. Or was he sixteen? He supposed it didn’t matter.

_Hey Isa,_ he’d said, nudging him with an elbow. _Bet you don’t know why the sun sets red!_

Isa had sighed, shutting his book. _Lea,_ I’m _the one who told you why it sets red._

_Aw, come on, Isa! Don’t be like that!_

_You’re a dork,_ Isa said, turning to face Lea.

_You know you love me,_ Lea replied, a wide grin across his face. Lea had leaned over and kissed Isa, making him blush a furious red.

_Lea!_ Isa complained against his mouth, but he’d been smiling as they pulled apart.

“Lea!” A voice that wasn’t Isa called out to him. This time, it was Aqua’s. “Lea, wake _up!_ ” A beam of light shown down on Axel, making Saïx flinch back as he recoiled from the light. He was forced to pull his claymore away from Axel’s face as he hastily backed away.

“Stop _interfering!_ ” He hissed. From his vantage point on his back, Axel- no, Lea, could see a hand reached down from the light.

“A… Aqua…?” He groaned, trying to reach upwards to grab Aqua’s hand.  
“STOP!” Saïx howled. From the corner of his vision, Lea saw Saïx readying his claymore again.

Pushing past the pain, Lea lunged for Aqua’s hand. Their fingers touched, and Aqua wrapped her hand around his wrist. She yanked upward and-

Lea’s eyes flew open; his heart racing as though he’d run a marathon. Someone was on top of his, shaking him and calling his name. Still dazed by sleep, and delirious from the nightmare, he instinctively grabbed the person’s wrists, holding them in place as he twisted his legs and shifted his weight, maneuvering both of them so they rolled, with Lea ending up on top and holding down the other person’s wrists.

“Lea, stop! It’s me! It was just a dream, it wasn’t real!” Lea blinked, reality snapping into place. He released Aqua, hastily scrambling to the other corner of the bed. Aqua sat up, breathing heavily, her eyes trained on Lea.

Starlight filtered through the bedroom window; the clock on the nightstand read 3:58 AM. It had been a night terror. Just a horrible, horrible night terror.

“A-Aqua! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to-” He gripped his head in both hands. “T...that wasn’t real, was it? No... it couldn’t have been… Aqua, I’m so-”

“Lea, stop! It’s… we’re alright; it wasn’t real, and we’re both fine,” Aqua said, looking ruffled, but calm. She reached out, gently pulling away his hands from his face and holding them in hers. Her hands were cool in his; something was soothing about her touch.

“How…” Lea swallowed hard. “How were you in my dream?”

Aqua looked down, contemplative. “I think… I think it has something to do with our hearts connecting on the Meridian.” 

It made sense to Lea; the way Aqua had reached out and called to him… it reminded him of before, when he’d saved Aqua. “So, what? We’re gonna be hanging out in each others dreams from now on?”

Aqua shook her head. “I… I don’t know. I don’t know why I was able to enter your dream, or why it felt so real. But… I’m glad I was able to help you.”

“Thank you,” he breathed. “I didn’t… they’re usually not that bad.”

“You get them often?”

Lea didn’t say anything for a moment, letting the silence between them grow. “Yes,” he whispered after a few moments. He felt himself still, despite his heart still racing through his chest. He’d never told anyone about the dreams that haunted him for years. Roxas, and not even Saïx, had any idea about the nightmares that tormented him. “They’ve never been that intense before. I guess there’s a first for everything, huh?” He tried to force a laugh. Before Aqua could comment, Lea began speaking again. “And what about you? You have any nightmares?”

“I didn’t used to, but… they seem to be all I have now.”

“Well, that makes two of us, it seems.”

Aqua looked down at their hands, still together. “Lea... “ she wouldn’t meet his gaze. “Who… who was that? And why did he keep calling you ‘Axel?’”

Lea’s hands, resting on top of Aqua’s open palms, clenched. “Well,” he he said with a breathy laugh. “I guess someone would have to tell you eventually. And if you had to hear it, I’d rather you heard it from me; so you get all the juicy details, right?”

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” she said, her eyes meeting his again.

“No it’s… this is something you need to know about me. It’s not right to hide it.” His heartbeat picked up, racing so loud and fast he could hear it in his ears. The thought of revealing his past to Aqua scared him, but he was tired of lying about who he was, who he’d been. “Just, you know… just give me a minute.”

He pulled his hands out of Aqua’s and got up off the bed, moving for the kitchen. Though their hands were no longer touching, the feel of her hands on his lingered, even as he rifled through the kitchen of the small cottage, searching for what he needed. It took him a few minutes to find what he was looking for, but he was successful after the first few cabinets.

“Got’cha,” he whispered, staring at the rows of pristine wine bottles. He grabbed two of the cheapest ones, some white zinfandel, by the necks of the bottle in his left hand. With his right, he raided the next nearest cabinet, pulling out two wine glasses.They clinked together as he grabbed them by the stems.

When he walked back into the bedroom, Aqua’s eyebrows raised, but she didn’t say anything.

“There’s nooooo way I’m gonna tell this story sober,” he explained, setting the bottles down on the bed and handing her a glass. “I’ll pay Sora’s parents back, don’t worry.”

Aqua grabbed one of the bottles and held it close to her face, examining the label as Lea sat next to her. “You know, I really didn’t think you were a white wine kinda guy. Red wine seems more your style.”

Lea shrugged, grabbing the other bottle. “Why? Is it ‘cause I’m a redhead? I take what I can get,” he said. Luckily, the bottles he’d grabbed had twist-off caps; it only took him a heartbeat to pop open the first bottle. Aqua held out her glass for him, and he poured her a generous amount before taking and filling his own glass.  
He took a long sip from his glass, Aqua next to him doing the same. 

“I should warn you,” Aqua said, resting her glass on her lap. “We _do_ have Sora, Riku, and Kairi to look after tomorrow. I can’t imagine they’d be too happy to find their babysitters hungover.”

“Lucky for them, I’m no lightweight. Didn’t think you’d be, Master,” he joked. 

“I’m not a lightweight!” Aqua protested. “Besides, a hangover’s nothing a spot healing magic can fix up… probably.”

Lea laughed into his glass before taking another long sip. The alcohol gave a pleasant burn as it slid down his throat, making him feel warm throughout his body. Lea thought for a moment, resting his glass on his leg, not sure where to start. “I guess I’ll start with the beginning, huh?

“I grew up in Radiant Garden; for the most part, life was pretty normal. Went to school, ran around, did kid things, ya’ know?” Lea exhaled a shaky breath. “I mostly hung around my best friend. Isa. The kid with the blue hair? Like yours, but, less blue. More white. White-blue.”

Aqua nodded, a small smile on her face. “I _think_ I get the picture, but maybe you should describe it again, just in case?”

“Har har. Blue hair, like yours, but-”

“Hush, you know I didn’t mean _literally!_ ”

“ _Anyway,_ he was my best friend. No one understood why we got along so well; he was this quiet bookworm, and I was this… well, you know how I am. I didn’t get it myself, why he liked me so much, but he did, and it just worked out. But, uh,” Lea’s eyes drifted away from Aqua. He took another swig from his glass, draining it. “He’s… he’s the one we were fighting in my dream. Saïx.” He poured himself another glass, the bottle wavering slightly as his hand shook.

“Why the name change?”

“I’m getting there, I’m getting there, relax!” He held up a hand, gesturing for Aqua to stop. “When we were about fifteen, we started, well, _going steady._ I dragged him to this party and a few drinks later… well, I kissed him I think? Don’t really remember, to be honest. But, anyway, the rest was history.”

Lea left out the sleepy late nights, the kissing by the fountain square, the times Lea snuck into Isa’s bedroom and let Isa hold him, the taste of Isa’s lips against his and the feel of Isa’s hands on his body.

“Drinking at fifteen? What a rebel,” Aqua’s voice snapped him out the memories. Lea could tell she was trying to keep the mood light, to encourage him to keep going.

“What can I say? I was a regular wild child,” Lea responded. “Everything was great for a while, we were getting ready to graduate, we were in love, and life couldn’t have been better. But of course, things don’t ever stay the same, do they? Radiant Garden was swallowed in darkness when I was eighteen. And Isa and I… Isa and I were changed forever.”

“What happened?”

“We… we became Nobodies.” Seeing the question forming on her lips, Lea already began to answer. “Nobodies are what’s left over when someone loses their heart. The empty bodies left behind; got it memorized?” He tapped a finger to his temple, to emphasize his point. “When Saïx called me _heartless,_ he wasn’t just being poetic. For a time… I was literally heartless.

“My heart was ripped out first. Isa… Isa had to watch. I was fortunate enough to be knocked out when they ripped out his.”

“They?” Aqua asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Organization XIII. Xemnas, the Superior… And the real kicker? Isa and I joined him afterwards; we’d do anything, _anything_ , for our hearts back. When we joined, we were given two things; fancy black coats, and new names. Isa became Saïx… and I became Axel.

“I remember waking up after becoming a Nobody. I… I felt nothing. My heart had been forcibly ripped out, and I felt _nothing._ Some part of me knew I should be scared, but I just… I couldn’t. I remembered what it was like to be scared, how I should act, but it’s like a limb had been cut off. I knew I should’ve been scared for Isa. But I just _wasn’t_.” Lea went to take another sip of his wine, but found the glass to be empty. Funny. He didn’t remember drinking from it.

“Lea…”

“Saïx and I came up with this plan. We’d take over the Organization, get our hearts back for ourselves. And for a while, it seemed like things would be okay. Saïx and I were together, so nothing could stop us, right?

“Then one day, after days of being missing, he came home with golden eyes and an ‘X’ slashed into his face. And after that, he became cold and distant. He… he broke it off with me a few months after. But you’re not here to hear me cry about a bad breakup,” he laughed, trying to dispel his own awkwardness. “After that, we just... drifted further and further apart. Honestly? At the end, I couldn’t call him my friend anymore. I still love and care about him but… but we weren’t friends, you know?

Lea poured a third glass for himself, emptying the first bottle. A part of his mind, irrational and drunk on wine, pleaded with him to stop while he was ahead. _She’ll hate you,_ it whispered. _Stop, before you make it worse. Stop!_ He forced himself to ignore the voice and keep talking.

“Anyway… Life went on. I did… bad things for the Organization. I was the Flurry of Dancing Flames, which was just a fancy title for their assassin on a leash. About a year ago, I murdered two of our members in cold blood, and manipulated another four into being killed by Sora and Riku.”

Aqua’s eyes widened, but Lea kept going. “I had too, you know? It was that, or be turned into a Dusk. A _Dusk_ of all things, those da-”

“A Dusk?” Aqua interrupted. Lea, mid-sentence, was left with his mouth agape. He quickly recovered, rubbing the back of his head with his free hand.

“Well, uh… It’s a Nobody, ‘cept it’s totally mindless. The Organization commanded them, like they commanded me, except their obedience was total. Becoming one was a fate worse than death, if you ask me… Sometimes I wonder if it was selfish of me, to kill my comrades to preserve myself. Wouldn’t a better person have given up their very being for their friends?” Lea popped open the second bottle and poured them both another glass.

“Why… why did you kill them?” 

“They betrayed the Organization. And… I was clearing the way up for Saïx, making it easier for him, us, to take over… When I said before that the Organization was full of nasty people? I was speaking from experience, I was one of them.”

Lea took another swig, and Aqua followed his lead. “Last year… I died. I sacrificed myself, so that Sora could save Kairi.” He paused, laughing to himself. “Well, pretty much everyone, I suppose.” He was aware how he was jumping from topic to topic, from anecdote to anecdote. But he was drunk, and didn’t particularly care; now that he’d started his story, it was as though the words were pouring out of him like a waterfall. 

“You… died?” She pulled the wine glass away from her mouth in shock. “But how-”

“Am I sitting here, drinking wine with you at three in the morn’? Well, when a Nobody _and_ their heartless are killed, they come back, fully human. Who would’ve thought that getting my heart back would’ve been so easy?

“Dying was… it was a relief; I could finally let go of everything, right? But then I woke up again, and nothing had really changed. I was Lea again, but everything I’d done as Axel felt like a stain on my skin.” 

“...Lea…”

“And Isa… Isa was still Saïx, even with his heart back.” 

“Lea…”

“I couldn’t save my best friend as Axel _or_ Lea.”

“Lea!” Aqua snapped. “...You’re crying.” Lea blinked. Once, twice, three times; now that she mentioned it, his vision _was_ a bit blurry, and something wet stained his fingers when he touched his cheek.

“Well, whaddya know… Man, this ‘having a heart’ stuff sure is tough, huh? Who knew I was such a sad drunk?” He chuckled into his fist. He raised the glass, only to find it empty once again. Small, hairline cracks had formed in the glass where he’d gripped too tightly. Looks like he’d have to buy a replacement for that, too.

“So…” Lea said, setting the broken wine glass on the nightstand. “That’s… almost everything.” He’d left out Roxas; he wasn’t ready to talk about him yet, and he wondered if he ever would be. He glanced toward the cracked glass again, feeling drained and exhausted. “All my dirty secrets. Most of them, anyway”

Aqua set down he own glass before, to Lea’s surprise, reaching out and clasping her hands around his. “It’s okay, Lea. I understand. I’ve lost people, too… Ventus, Terra, Eraqus… I blame myself for what happened to them; I know what it’s like to think it’s all your fault. But you’re not alone anymore, Lea. We’re all here for you, me, Sora, Riku, Kairi… even the King, Donald, and Goofy will stick by your side.

“You did bad things. You hurt your friends. But... you’re sorry, you regret it. And while that doesn’t erase what you did… it puts you on the right path, I think. Maybe we’ll never stop feeling guilty about what we did in our past, but we can’t ever change it, we can only try to make sure it doesn’t happen in our future.

“We _will_ save them; Isa, Terra, Ven… we’ll find them and bring them back to us. We just have to keep believing in the Light.”

“Aqua…”

Aqua’s hands left his and drifted up, towards his face. She hesitated for a moment, but softly cupped his face in her hands. When he didn’t shrug her off, she swiped his tears with her thumbs before slowly pulling away again. Her touch left soft, tingling sensations across his face, as though her touch was electric. He exhaled slowly, trying to calm his heart.

“I’ll always be around if you need to talk, Lea,” Aqua said, smiling softly.

“Thank you, Aqua. I’ve never really... Sat down and talked to someone, you know? The only person I ever did that with was Isa, and well, you know how that turned out.”

Aqua laughed quietly. “Of course, Lea. For now, though, I think we should catch up on sleep… and hopefully not wake up with hangovers.”

“I dunno, I’m glad we got to-” Lea suddenly groaned, putting the back of his hand to his forehead. “Hangover… here… Aqua… I think I’m dying...”

Aqua shoved his shoulder playfully. “‘Heavyweight,’ huh?”

Lea swatted her hand away. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding!”

“Could’ve fooled me!”

“C’mon, you could have _some_ faith in me, Master!” They both laughed quietly, the awkwardness that the night had begun with nearly all but gone.

“Alright, I think it’s time for the adults to go to sleep.” She set her own glass down before laying back down with a stretch. “Oh, and of course, you should too, Lea.”

“I’ll have you know I am a _perfectly_ functioning adult, thank you, Master.” He followed suit, laying back and resting his hands behind his head.

“Oh, of course, Lea. I’ll tell that to your moogle pajamas.” Lea’s mouth opened to retort, before he thought better of it. “Goodnight, Lea.”

“...Hey, first- Aqua?” He turned his head to her. “You should know that I’m always here too. To talk to, of course. It’s only fair, right?” He chuckled. “Get it memorized.”

He rolled onto his side, his back to Aqua, and closed his eyes, not waiting for her response. As the alcohol lulled him to an easy sleep, he felt Aqua shift beside him; the bed near him suddenly depressing as she scrunched closer to him. Lea’s breath caught in his throat; she wasn’t close enough to touch, but she _was_ close enough that Lea could feel her presence, a comforting warmth against his back.

For the first time in a while, he went to bed smiling.


	9. Glass Castles

Lea awoke to the smell of strawberries filling his nose. Still half asleep, he breathed in the scent, only to have something brush by and tickle his face. He moved his hand to swipe at whatever was tickling him, only to find something tugging back at his hand, holding it in place. Confused, he cracked open an eye, and found himself face to face with Aqua, her eyes gently closed in sleep.

His hand was clasped in hers, their hands resting in the little space between them. Strands of her hair, unkempt and messy, had ended up by his face, which explained the smell of strawberries. He felt heat rise to his cheeks as he watched Aqua’s sleeping face, only inches away from his.

As he became fully awake, the full weight of the wine he’d drank last night hit him. His head pounded, and his mouth felt as though someone had shoved cotton down his throat. Though his fight with Saïx had been nothing more than a dream, his muscles ached as though it had been real; his back twinged with pain where he’d taken the claymore for Aqua.

He gently pulled his hand out of Aqua’s, trying his best not to wake her as he slipped out of bed and slinked into the bathroom. The door closed behind him with a click, and he winced as the sound caused pain to lance through his already aching head. Staggering to the sink, he turned the faucet as high as it would go before cupping his hands under the now running water. The water was hot, almost to the point of burning, but to him it felt only lukewarm as he he brought the water to his face, soaking his skin and hair.

Resting his palms on the sink, he learned forward, staring at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes were tinged with red and puffy, and his hair was an atrocious mess, but otherwise he looked almost decent. His hand drifted to the spot under his eye, where the purple, tear-drop shaped marks used to be. It still surprised him that they weren’t there, even after a few weeks of being human again. 

He remembered seeing them for the first time, how off it’d felt looking into his own face. Even Saïx had been put off by the odd markings. He felt the same has he had then, like the person he was looking at wasn’t truly him. 

He shut off the faucet with a quiet sigh before heading back to the bedroom. He opened the door to find Aqua gone and the bed neatly made. 

“Aqua?” He called.

“In the kitchen!” Came her distant reply.

Following her voice, Lea stumbled into the next room, finding Aqua sitting at the dining room table. She was slowly sipping from a steaming mug, and another mug rested on the table in the spot across from her.

“I made tea,” she said, matter-of-factly. “And, since I figured your hangover was probably just as bad as mine, I infused a bit of magic into it.”

“Well, aren’t you fancy?” Lea teased, sliding into the chair across from her. “Never been much of a tea person, you know; coffee is _much_ more my speed.”

“You’ve never had _my_ tea,” Aqua smiled. “Try it, I _promise_ you’ll like it.”

Lea obliged, lifting the mug to his lips and sipping. The tea had a pleasant spice to it, almost like cinnamon, but it was also sweet. As he swallowed, a pleasant, cooling sensation swept through him, dulling the ache of his head. He downed the mug in one go, and he felt his hangover fade as the mug emptied.

“Apple and cinnamon?” He guessed, setting the mug down. 

“Mhmm,” she answered, watching him as she drank from her own mug.

“Wow, those my favourite colors _and_ flavors; how’d you know?”

Aqua smiled, her expression playfully smug. “I just had a feeling. How’s your head?”

“It’s almost like I didn’t wake up at four in the morning and drink myself to sleep. So, I guess your magic _does_ work on hangovers. Who’da thunk?”

“Well, I’m glad,” Aqua laughed. 

“How do you think I feel? Hey… does this mean I can finally realize my dream of drinking myself silly with zero consequences?”

“Don’t even think about it, Lea,” she chided. Though her voice was stern, her eyes were bright with humor.

Talking with Aqua was fun, Lea decided. It felt like he’d known her for years, rather than a few days. It was nice to have a friend closer to his age again. Hell, it was just nice to _any_ friend, period.

A sudden, sharp knock at the door cut off their conversation. “Heyyyy!” A voice that Lea recognized as Sora’s called from outside. “You guys still alive?”

“I’ll get it,” Aqua laughed, setting down her mug and rising. The second Aqua opened the door, Sora, Riku, and Kairi burst in, all chattering at once, and Lea was doubly grateful for Aqua’s tea.

“Whoa, whoa, slow down!” Aqua said, shutting the door. “One at a time, you three.”

“We’re building sandcastles!” Sora grinned, his smile wide.

“Sandcastles?” Lea questioned. 

“Yeah,” Riku said, a sly smile on his face. “Castles made of sand.”

“Woowwwww,” Lea drawled, rolling his eyes. “I had no idea. _Why_ are we building sandcastles, smart aleck?”

“It’s a competition,” Kairi said, appearing by his side. Her face was alight with childlike joy. “We’re gonna see who can build the best castle!”

Lea slid his gaze to Aqua, who was already looking at him. Before Lea could say _I call being on Aqua’s team,_ Sora spoke up. “Lea and Kairi versus me, Riku, and Aqua,” he gave Lea and Kairi a devilish grin. “Hope you two are ready to get totally destroyed.”

“What?” Lea protested. “That’s totally unfair! The teams are uneven.”

“It’s fair cuz we have Riku,” Sora countered. “He can’t build a sandcastle to save his life.”

“Oh yeah?” Riku retorted. “Then why’d you want me on your team so bad? ‘Oh, Riku! We _have_ to be on the same team! Pllleaasseee Riku?”

Sora gave Riku a playful shove. “Aw, come on! I don’t sound anything like that!”

As they bickered, Kairi wrapped a hand around Lea’s upper arm, tugging impatiently. “C’mon Axel, you have to get ready so we can beat them!”

He let Kairi pull him out of the chair into a standing position. “Alright, alright,” he relented. “How does one get ready for building sandcastles, exactly?”

She tugged his arm again. “Your swimsuit, duh! You can’t build sandcastles in moogle pajamas.” 

“It’s my vacation, and I’ll spend it however I want! _Including_ building sandcastles in pajamas.” He paused. “But now that you mention it, I _do_ like these; it’d be a shame to get sand in them.”

“Right, so hurry!” Her bright blue eyes looked at him pleadingly.

“Relax, Kairi,” he laughed. “This won’t take _that_ long.”

~

“Axel, that took forever; you’re so slow! Everyone is waiting on us!” Though Lea could tell she was joking, he _had_ taken a bit too long in the bathroom. “They’re at the beach already,” she huffed.

“You think doing my hair is easy?” He joked. “Not to mention the eyeliner.”

“ _Seriously?_ ” She put her hands on her hips in mock annoyance.

“Serious as a heart attack, princess. Gotta look my best at all times.”

“Axel!”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding!”

As they talked, the two started jogging towards the beach, sand spraying behind them.

“If they started without us,” Kairi threatened between breaths. “I’m launching you into the sun.”

“Ha!” Lea laughed. “I’d like to see you try.”

Eventually, as they neared the beach, Lea was able to see the other three, standing and waiting patiently. The ocean behind them was calm and still, almost appearing like glass. A calm breeze blew through, cooling Lea despite the heat of the day.

“See?” Aqua said as they approached, a small smile on her face. “I told you they’d show up.” She was back in her one piece, and Lea had to force himself to stop staring like an idiot. Instead, he turned his gaze to Sora, Riku… anything but Aqua.

“We were about to start without you,” Sora grinned, and Lea’s gaze snapped to him. Riku merely shook his head, though a faint smile rested on his face.

“How could you even consider starting without the winners?” Lea joked.

“What’re you talking about, Lea?” Aqua tilted her head. “We’ve been here the whole time.” Sora and Riku laughed, and even Kairi giggled.

“Har har,” Lea huffed. “You guys will see who the _real_ winners are, and I’ll give you a hint: their names are ‘Lea’ and ‘Kairi.’”

“ _Anyway,_ the rules are simple,” Sora started explaining. “You have an hour to build the best sand castle _ever._ Losers buy winners dessert!”

“Ohhh, so _thats_ why you put the adults on seperate teams: so we’d buy you ice cream,” Aqua said, tapping a finger against her jaw in mock contemplation.

“Whaattt? We’d never do that!” Sora protested.

“You would, and you are,” Lea retorted. “Or at least, you’d wish you could. After all, we only buy if you win, and we know that’s not going to happen!”

“We’ll see about that! We start on the count of one...”

As Sora started counting down, Kairi tugged at Lea’s elbow, pulling him down so she could whisper in his ear. 

“Lea, I think I know what we can build,” she whispered. As she whispered her idea into his ear, Lea’s eyes widened. 

“Kairi that’s perfect,” he whispered back, grinning, as Sora finished his countdown with a loud “ _ONE!_ ”

All five of them shot towards the water at once, heading straight for the wet sand. As they crossed the sand, they all had to dodge around the crater Lea had created yesterday; Kairi nearly tripped into it, but Lea caught her arm before she could tumble into it, hauling her back onto her feet and running with her hand in hand .

He and Kairi were neck and neck with Aqua, who gave them a devilish smile as she ran. “Is this our rematch?” She said, shouting over the wind.

“You wish, Master!” Lea shouted back. Pulling Kairi along, he picked up his pace, Kairi following easily as they began to outpace Aqua, Riku, and Sora.

Lea heard Sora shout something like “Get them!” as they passed, but Lea’s focus was on skidding to a halt as his bare feet hit the wet sand. Kairi stopped next to him, immediately kneeling and starting to scoop sand into a pile. 

“I’ll build, you add the details,” he ordered as knelt next to her, scooping wet sand alongside her. About ten feet in front of him, Aqua, Sora, and Riku had finally made it to the water, and were beginning to do the same thing.

Lea got to work, constructing the idea Kairi had given him from memory. He worked quickly, and soon had a decent looking base; Kairi delivered more wet sand to him, and he soon had towers along the base. Kairi began tracing lines into the castle with a pencil made of… ice? Lea assumed she’d used her budding magic abilities to make it. 

Together, with Kairi drawing in the details and Lea building, their castle began to grow and take shape. Each spire, each rampart and parapet and window, they sculpted and shaped and added, slowly but surely. When Lea finished the base, Kairi made another pencil of ice and handed it to him. He started adding in small details he remembered from his childhood; a window here, a door there, until, eventually, the castle of sand began to resemble the castle of Radiant Garden

“So,” Kairi suddenly said, breaking their silence. “How was last night? You two seemed _very_ comfortable with each other!”

Lea coughed, and his hand jerked, causing the line he was drawing into the sand to suddenly skew. “W-what? Less chatting, more building, Kairi!”

“Oh please, Axel! It’s obvious. You look at her _all_ the time, you like her!”

“ _Kairi,_ ” Lea hissed. “Keep your voice down!”

Kairi laughed. “Your cheeks are all pink! It’s true: you _do_ like her, don’t you?”

“Of course I like her, she’s my friend,” Lea said, wiping away the line he’d messed up in an attempt to distract himself. _She’s just a friend,_ he thought. _I’ve only known her for a week, I can’t like her like _that,_ that stuff only happens in fairy tales._ In truth, he hadn’t thought of being in a serious relationship since... since Saïx. 

But Aqua was… Aqua was kind, and smart, and pretty. She’d listened to him talk, she’d comforted him after his nightmare, even though she’d been dealing with her own. She’d drank wine with him and laughed at his stupid jokes.

He looked over to where she sat kneeling in the sand, laughing as Sora threw a clump of wet sand at Riku. 

Their castle was elegant and regal, like something out of a fairy tale, unlike Kairi’s and Lea’s, whose castle was more stalwart and noble looking. The sun glistened in her wet hair, making her look radiant in the afternoon light.

“You’re looking at her aggaaiinnn,” Kairi said, a satisfied smile on her face.

“When you say it like that, you make me sound like a creep.” Lea tore his gaze away from Aqua. He held his pencil to the sand castle, trying once again to draw. As the pencil tip dug into the sand, his mind betrayed him; the memory of Aqua’s hands on his face, gently wiping his tears, filled his mind and occupied his thoughts. 

The pencil in his hand snapped in two, shattering into freezing cold shards.

Kairi wordlessly made him another, but her face was amused. “Don’t worry, Riku and Sora are clueless when it comes to this stuff, they won’t notice.”

“I know they won’t notice, Kairi,” Lea said, matter-of-factly. Aqua’s voice rang in his head. _I’ll always be around if you need to talk, Lea._

“Oh? Notice _what?_ ”

_You’re not alone anymore, Lea._

Lea put the pencil down. “Okay,” he admitted. “ _Maybe_ I like her. But… it can’t go anywhere, Kairi.”

“Why not?”

“I just…” An image of Saïx flashed through his mind. He couldn’t lose anyone like that ever again. He _couldn’t_ watch another person he loved disappear. “It can’t.”

“I thought it’d be hard too, when Sora told me how he felt,” Kairi said, her gaze back on the castle as she began drawing again. “But love is a powerful thing, Axel, it can conquer anything.”

“Wow, you’re really startin’ to sound like a Princess of Light, Kairi.”

She reached over and gave him a playful shove. “I’m serious! You can’t deny your feelings forever, Axel, your heart will get what it wants eventually.” To emphasize her point, she poked his sternum with her index finger.

“Ohhh, yeah! Keep forgetting I’ve got one of those!” He grinned at Kairi. “You know, I think I _do_ have to listen to my heart. You know what it says, Princess?”

Kairi raised an eyebrow. “Is it telling you how _right_ I am?”

“No, it’s telling me we gotta hurry up and win this thing!” He gestured towards the other three, who seemed to be finishing up their castle. 

Kairi looked over, and her eyes suddenly widened. “How did they get _fountains?_ ”

“What?” Lea stood to get a better view of the Aqua, Riku, and Sora’s castle. Sure enough, they had sculpted fountains around their castle; each one shooting salt water a few inches into the air. “Oh, that’s so not fair!”

He glanced to their own castle, an idea suddenly forming in his mind. “Step back Kairi,” he warned. She obliged, scrambling back towards the water as Lea called on his fire once again. It encircled his arms and hands, wrapping them in a familiar heat. He’d never done something like this on purpose, but how hard could it be?

Long ago, before he’d been turned into a Nobody, Isa had told him how glass was made, how it was blown from molten sand. He didn’t remember the finer details of Isa’s lecture, but he felt confident that he’d could do it… probably.

Fire wrapped its way around the castle, swallowing it until it became hidden by the flames. He worked the flames up slowly and steady, being careful not to heat the sand too much too quickly. These flames weren’t like yesterday’s, full of his raw emotions; this time, using his fire was an exercise in control. His fuel for this fire wasn’t the pain of losing Roxas and Isa; this fire felt like the heat of the summer sun, the slow burn of the wine he’d drunk last light, of the warmth of Aqua’s hands on his face…

The fire burned a blueish white as he fed it, superheating and shaping the sand it covered. He felt a bead of sweat drip down his face as he focused on holding the flame at a consistent temperature, his focus narrowing onto only his flames. 

As the sand began to melt under the heat, Lea worked to spin and form it into the shape he and Kairi had carefully sculpted. Using the fire as an extension of his hands, he reshaped the melted sand; though he couldn’t exactly _see_ what he was doing, he was able to feel it, as though it were clay under a potter’s hand.

When he felt the flames reaching as hot as they could go, he pulled away, dropping the flames and staggering backwards, breathing heavily as he hunched over. Sweat dripped from his face and body; it had been a while since he’d needed to exert that much control for that length of time. _I’m out of shape,_ he thought, resting his hands and on his knees.

As his breath slowly came back to him, he heard Kairi gasp. “Axel, that’s incredible!”

Lea looked up, still panting, to see the fruits of his labor; the castle had completely turned to blue-white glass that shimmered and glinted in the afternoon sun. It was so bright, it was almost hard to look at. As sunlight hit the castle, it fractured and splintered, casting shafts of blue light onto the sand around the castle.

“Woah!” Said Sora from behind him. “How’d you do that?!” 

“Can’t sell secrets to the competition, can I?” Lea tapped his temple, grinning. “Got it-”

“Oh c’mon! That’s probably cheating anyways!” Sora interrupted, making Lea frown.

“Yeah, well- what do you call all that?!” Lea gestured broadly with his arm, pointing towards the other castle’s fountains.

“Hey! It’s using, uh…” Aqua leaned over Sora, a hand on his shoulder, and whispered something into Sora’s ear. “Oh, right! It’s using _natural materials_!”

Lea’s brows furrowed, trying to process what Sora had just said. Before he could think of anything clever to say, Kairi spoke up with a retort of her own. “Fire isn’t _artificial,_ Sora! It’s natural!”

“When was the last time you saw fire at a beach?” Riku cut in, crossing his arms.

“We have campfires on the beach all the time!”

“Those aren’t _natural_ , Kairi,” Sora retorted. 

“No, but they’re still _fires_ on the _beach._ ”

“Okay, okay,” Aqua stepped forward, holding her hands out as if to placate them. “That’s enough you three. _Despite_ Lea’s team cheating-”

“It’s not cheating,” Lea cut in. “There weren’t any rules about making your sand castle into glass.”

“I think we can call this a draw,” Aqua continued. 

“Whaaattt?” Sora complained. “Then who gets ice cream?”

“We _all_ do,” Aqua smiled. “Lea and I will get everyone something.”

Lea leaned over to Kairi. “We still totally won,” he said in a mock whisper, loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Get real!” Sora huffed. “Your castle isn’t even a _sand_ castle anymore.”

“...You know what glass _is_ , right Sora?” Lea crossed his arms, raising a slow eyebrow at Sora.

“Uh, of course I do! I’m not dumb, Lea.” Sora snorted, looking around at the expectant audience. “...It’s made of fire! How else would Lea make it?”

Lea couldn’t hold in the encroaching smile. “...Sora, glass is made of-” Lea was interrupted as everyone around them broke into laughter. 

“What?!” Sora demanded, his hands on his hips.

Kairi walked up to him and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Glass is made of sand, Sora, not fire!” She giggled as Sora’s cheeks turned pink.

“Then why have I never seen glass on the beach?” Sora coughed into his hand, as though he were trying to hide his embarrassment. “ C’mon Riku, back me up!”

“You’re hopeless,” Riku replied, pinching the bridge of his nose and laughing. “How did I get teamed up with someone who thought glass was made of _fire?_ ”

“You’re the worst best friend, _ever,_ ” Sora laughed, giving Riku’s shoulder a playful shove.

As the two started to play fight and argue, Aqua walked up to Lea, her face bright. “It’s beautiful,” she said, her eyes on the glass castle. “It looks like something out of a fairy tale.”

Lea looked at his work again. He’d done well keeping the shape of the sand; he’d even managed to preserve most of the details he and Kairi had carved into it. It glimmered like a beacon in the sunlight, the light glistening and twist off of it like a chandelier. 

“Y’know, I guess you’d know all about what those are like.”

“Why’s that?”

“Well, I just assumed! Looks like you came from one, after all.”

Aqua’s cheeks turned scarlet. “I-I,” she started stammering, her gaze turning away from Lea. “A… fairy tale? M-me?”

“Sure! You’re pretty, and smart, and you’re like a walking dream… _Literally,_ since, you know, you actually walked into my dream.”

Aqua’s blush spread to her ears and neck. “P-pretty…?”

Lea had to hold in a laugh; he’d never seen her so flustered before. It was amusing seeing someone normally so collected and calm blush like she’d never been complimented before. _She’s cute,_ he thought before he could stop himself.

“S-Speaking of dreams!” Aqua suddenly shouted. “And… castles! When are we-”

“Oh that’s right! We gotta go to Beast’s Castle next!” Kairi cut in suddenly. Lea jumped, he’d totally forgotten she was there. 

Aqua coughed into her hand, her blush fading. “Of course,” she said. “We set off tomorrow?”

As she spoke, the castle caught Lea’s eye once again again. “Sure,” he said, absent-mindedly, his thoughts on the glass he’d made. Memories of Radiant Garden washed over him, but also… the feeling of Kairi’s charm cutting into his fingers as he’d clung to it. What has she called it, a good luck charm? _Wayfinder,_ he thought, the word popping into his mind again as an idea began to form.

“Lea?” Aqua’s voice snapped him into the present. “You coming?”

“Sorry, what?”

“I’m heading back to the house to change. You wanna come with?”

“Be there in a bit,” he answered. “I have something I need to do.”


	10. Finding the Way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update: Chapter 2 was updated a small bit to include Aqua's Dive to the Heart! Go check it out really quick if you were interested :D

Despite the hot afternoon sun, a cool breeze lazily blew through Destiny Islands, ruffling Aqua’s hair and keeping her cool. It was the day after their sand castle competition, and they’d all gathered at the gummi ship, ready to take off for Beast’s Castle, except…

“Has anyone seen Lea?” Aqua asked, scanning the horizon for their missing friend.

“I thought you of all people would know where he is,” Kairi answered, a strange look on her face.

“No, I haven’t seen him since last night.”

“He couldn’t have gone far,” Sora spoke from where he leaned against the gummi ship.

“He _does_ know we’re leaving today, right?” Riku questioned.

“He _should,_ ” Aqua answered, worry seeping into her mind.

After the competition yesterday, Lea had completely disappeared without a trace. He’d only popped into the house to change and reassure Aqua he’d be back before vanishing again. The last time she’d seen him had been late into the night, as she’d gotten ready to turn in for the night. Lea had come home, looking completely exhausted, before collapsing into the bed, still fully dressed. He was gone when Aqua woke up, there had been no sign he’d even been there save for the rumpled bed sheets.

As she wondered where Lea had wandered off to, his words from yesterday rang through her mind. _You’re pretty, and smart, and you’re like a walking dream…_ Even just thinking about it made heat rise to her cheeks again; she turned her face away from the others, trying to hide her blush.

They way he’d complimented her yesterday… it had made her heart flutter in her chest. It was something she’d never really experienced before. Her experience in the dating world was _limited,_ to say the least. There’d been that time in Olympus, when that boy Zack had tried to ask her out, but otherwise, her life had been completely centered around her training; she’d never had _time_ to consider a relationship.

_A relationship? Is that what this is?_

No. It couldn’t be; she’d just met Lea, after all. And if she didn’t have time for a relationship during training, she definitely didn’t have time for one now. It wouldn’t be fair to others if she put Lea first, when all their lives, when the lives of _everyone_ was on the line. 

But yet… there was something about Lea she couldn’t quite describe; something that drew her to him. Maybe it was the way he was so loose and free, unlike the rigid and firm demeanor she had to maintain as a Keyblade Master, or maybe it was the way he seemed to care so viscerally about his friends... Something about him was so familiar, yet so new at the same time.

_What would he say if he saw me all flustered like this?_ Aqua sighed to herself. _Probably something like-_

“Hey, Aqua! Didja’ miss me?”

_-that. What a dork... and after that he’d say-_

“Hellloooo? Lea to Aqua, Lea to Aqua, come in, Aqua! Jeez, are you spacing out?”

 _Wait, that’s not…_ Aqua snapped her head up, and she suddenly found herself face to face with a grinning Lea. He was, dressed in normal clothes for once, not his black coat or moggle attire. A sleeveless black jacket, cutting off at his mid-thighs, showed off the entirety of his muscled arms all the way down to his gloved hands. Black pants met black and red boots, and his entire outfit was accented with silvers and reds. In the collar of his jacket, which looked large and scarf-like, a silver, stylized “X” had been pinned, though Aqua had no idea what it meant.

Aqua could feel her cheeks heating again. He looked _good._

Lea must have noticed her staring. “Like the outfit? The fairies set me up before we left the Tower. You should’ve heard them! ‘Lea, you can’t wear that coat _everyday!_ ’ ‘Lea, sit still so we can measure you!’ ‘Lea, do you like black, or off-black?’ Get this, my answer didn’t even matter; the first set of clothes they handed me was red, blue, and green!’”

Aqua gave her head a small shake, like a dog shaking water off its coat, freeing her thoughts. “Lea, where were you?!” She placed her hands on her hips, giving him a stern look. “I was worried sick!”

“Oh, you know, I was just… around.”

“Lea!”

By this point, the two had attracted the attention of Sora, Riku, and Kairi, who made their way over to them. 

“Well, since you’re all here, I guess I can tell you,” Lea mumbled as he rooted around in his jacket pocket. “Don’t laugh,” he said, cutting each of them a look as his cheeks tinted ever so slightly with pink. “I’m looking at you, Sora!”

Sora huffed. “I won’t, I won’t!”

Aqua’s head tilted in curiosity. Did this had something to do with where he’d vanished? And why did he seem so embarrassed about it?

Aqua found herself holding her breath as Lea slowly withdrew his hand out of his pocket. As he did so, several glittering objects clattered out and began to dangle from Lea’s hand, each one attached to a length of string that Lea now held. As they twirled and glittered in the sunlight, Aqua recognized the shapes immediately.

Wayfinders. Lea had gotten them all Wayfinders. 

“They’re good luck charms!” He announced, the pink fading from his cheeks and he smiled widely. 

Four glittering, multi-colored glass stars dangled from his hand, catching in the sunlight as they slowly spun. Like Aqua’s, each point of the star had been outlined in silver, but unlike Aqua’s, the center of each Wayfinder sported a stylized silver heart, its center hollowed out to show more of the colored glass.

Kairi was the first to break the silence, her eyes alight with joy. ”They look like my good luck charm!”

Lea pulled one off his hand and held it out to Kairi; this one was colored like the deepest sea, dark blues swirled and intermingled within deep, almost black, greens. Despite the dark coloring, light shone from deep within the Wayfinder, as though Lea had somehow put glitter in the glass.

“Where’d did you _get_ these?” Sora asked he held the one Lea handed to him up to the light. This one was a red so deep, it looked more like it was made of rubies than glass. Near the center of the charm was colored with darker, orange glass, giving the whole charm the appearance of a sunset sky.

“”I made them,” Lea said, grinning proudly.

To Riku, he handed a Wayfinder the color of emeralds, though as it shimmered, Aqua saw hints of a softer, lighter green from within. Something about it reminded Aqua of sunlight breaking through a forest canopy. This one too, as well as Sora’s, glittered in the light.

“But _how?_ ” Riku questioned as he took the Wayfinder in his hands, holding it as though his touch would shatter it.

“I called up Ienzo,” Lea said with a shrug. “Well, I didn’t actually call him, more like, I made a Corridor into the lab at Radiant Garden and scared him half to death; long story short, I made the glass, and he colored it, so you can thank him for the pretty colors.”

As he spoke, he held the last Wayfinder out to Aqua.

This one was completely unlike the others. At first glance, it seemed so dark, it appeared black. But as Lea angled it toward her, it erupted in a burst of beautiful blues and purples that shimmered and shifted in the light. The glitter in this one seemed condensed into certain spots, giving it the appearance of stars against a night sky. The trim on this Wayfinder was thinner, and designed in a vine-like pattern around the edges of the star.

“I owe Ienzo a _huge_ favor,” Lea said as Aqua gently lifted the Wayfinder from his hand. “And knowing him, it’ll be something weird.” 

“Lea,” Aqua breathed, holding the Wayfinder at eye level. “It’s beautiful.” As she looked at it, the Wayfinder she’d made suddenly felt heavy in her pocket, as though straining for the one she held in her hand.

“I sure hope so! Lot of work went into it, y’know. Wanted something that was a good match for the owner, after all.”

“Well, I- can only assume you got one equally as beautiful?” The second the words left her mouth, she realized what she’d said. _Did I just call him beautiful?_

“Huh?” Lea’s cheeks tinted pink again. “Well, about that, actually… I didn’t have enough glass to make one for myself,” he forced a laugh. “So I just made one for the rest of you.”

Aqua tilted her head. “Not enough glass? But, aren’t we on a beach…?” 

Before Lea could answer, Kairi rushed past Aqua and leapt at him, wrapping him in an embrace. “It’s perfect!” She laughed as Lea hugged her back. “Now we’ll never get lost!”

“Yeah!” Sora cheered. “Thanks, Lea!”

Riku was holding his Wayfinder close to his heart, his eyes wide, as though he couldn’t quite believe what he was holding. “No one’s ever… given me something like this.” He held it out, looking at it with wonder in his eyes. “Thank you, Ax-... Lea.”

“...Hey, you- you said my name! Hah, looks like you finally got it memorized, Riku!”

“Please don’t ruin it,” Riku snorted, a soft smile on his face.

Aqua looked back to the Wayfinder she held in her hand. Why hadn’t Lea made one for himself? There was plenty of sand, they were on a beach, for crying out loud. She looked back up at him; he’d set Kairi back down from their embrace, and was laughing along with something Sora had said. 

“Well,” Lea said, snapped Aqua out of her thoughts. “I think we have a castle to visit, don’t we?”  
“We were waiting on _you,_ you know!” Kairi chided him, her hands on her hips.

“Oh man, I can’t wait to see Beast again, with _all_ my friends this time!” Sora paused. “...Well, almost all, anyways.”

Aqua slid the Wayfinder Lea had made her into her pocket, gently resting it against her original Wayfinder. For a brief moment, the Wayfinders seemed to inexplicably _warm_ as they touched, but it lasted for only a moment. 

She smiled at the others, pulling her hand out of her pocket. “Well then, what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lea's outfit was based off of [THIS](http://nijuukoo.tumblr.com/post/135002318101/awejoaiwjogiewg-do-you-understand-my-need-for) _incredible_ outfit design :D
> 
> Thank you everyone for reading!!!


	11. Ghosts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo how bout that new trailer?
> 
> Anyway, just a friendly reminder that chapter 2 was updated, if you haven't seen it yet!
> 
> Thank you for reading and hope y'all enjoy <3
> 
> -TheBlackSouledFox

By the time they’d landed in Beast’s Castle, the sun had already set, and the stars hung in the sky like thousands of glittering jewels. Aqua stretched her arms above her head, enjoying the cool breeze that blew through the courtyard they’d landed in. In front of them loomed a tall, imposing castle, not at all like the Castle of Dreams. While the Castle of Dreams had been elegant and radiant, this one seemed… empty, almost; yet it still was beautiful, in it’s own, haunting way.

“It’s so pretty!” Kairi said from behind her, hopping out of the gummi ship, her eyes trained on the massive castle.

Sora jumped down next to her, grinning. “It’s great, right?”

“You two are delusional,” Riku said as he joined them. “This place _still_ looks haunted.”

“C’mon, it could be _tons_ worse.” Lea said, following the trio, stretching out once his feet hit the ground. “Like the Castle that Never Was.”

“Ugh don’t remind me,” Sora groaned, and Riku nodded in agreement.

“What’s that?” Aqua asked, turning to them.

“An awful vacation spot, that's what. We goin’ in or not?” Lea crossed his arms impatiently; he seemed to be on edge, though Aqua couldn’t fathom why. He’d been the same laughing, joking, dork as always in the gummi ship, but now he seemed anxious and pensive.

“We’re going, we’re going!” Sora laughed, completely oblivious to Lea’s tone as he began to lead the way to the castle gates. Aqua and the others followed, their footsteps echoing against the cold stone. As the walked, she noticed Lea falling behind, his eyes darting around anxiously. She slowed her pace, letting him catch up to her so they were walking side-by-side.

“You okay?” She asked. “You seem on edge.”

“Yeah, sorry. Just… I only ever came here as… Axel,” he lowered his voice so the other three, now a few feet ahead of them, couldn’t hear. “I did some reconnaissance work, stuck to the shadows, things like that. It’s just weird, ya’ know? I was always on the outside of the castle; I never thought I’d actually be inside of it.”

She didn’t answer him right away. Instead, she looped an arm through his, placing her other hand on his upper arm. “Well, you’re not Axel anymore,” she said. “You’re Lea, and Lea, can... ah, pretend to be my... enigmatic escort! We’re going to a lovely ball together at a creepy castle, where only you can protect me from the ghosts that are _clearly_ haunting this place.”

Lea raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? Should I start calling you ‘my Lady?’”

“If that’s what you truly want, then sure,” She laughed. As they talked, she felt Lea loosen, the tension leaving his body as they laughed together. 

“I guess I really am a guardian of light, then, _my Lady._ ” He gave her a devilish grin, and Aqua found herself blushing again. Before she could respond to _that_ comment, Lea resumed speaking. “Fear not, for I shall protect you from, the, ah-”

“The ghosts.”

“Right, the ghosts.”

Their laughter drew the attention of Kairi, how stopped chatting with Riku and Sora long enough to cast a look back at them. Her eyes drifted to their linked arms, and a smug smile grew on her face before she snapped her attention back to the boys.

 _What was_ that _about?_ Aqua wondered as they finally made it to the massive front doors.

Sora reached for the knocker and slammed it into the door, making a resounding _boom!_ echo into the night. Moments later, the door slowly creaked open, revealing a yawning darkness behind it. Aqua jumped as the door opened further; no one was standing in the space beyond, it seemed as though the door had opened by itself.

Chills ran down her spine, and she instinctively huddled closer to Lea, tightening her grip on his arm. “Did that door just…?” She whispered to him.

“ _Bonjour, mis amis,_ ” a voice suddenly rang out. “It is a pleasure to see you again!”

Aqua’s heart stopped in her chest. Where… where had the voice come from? Her eyes drifted downward, slowly. As her gaze met the floor, she finally saw what had opened the door. There, standing completely innocuous, was a… candlestick with a face?

“Ah, I see you have brought friends with you this time!” It said.

Aqua shrieked in surprise, darting behind Lea. She’d met talking animals before, but a talking _candlestick?_ “Lea, it’s a ghost! Get it!” 

Riku and Kairi, equally as startled as Aqua was, followed her lead and took cover behind Lea. Kairi clung tightly to Lea’s jacket, staring wide-eyed at the candlestick. 

“Why are you all hiding behind _me?!_ ” He protested.

Sora suddenly burst out laughing. “Guys!” He said through his laughter. “Relax, it’s not a ghost! That’s just Lumière, he’s friendly!”

“I can assure you, _mis amis,_ I am no ghost!” The candlestick spoke again, confirming what Sora said. “And it is as Sora said; I am quite friendly!” In a lower voice, he murmured “Though I cannot say the same for my friend Cogsworth.”

“I heard that, Lumière!” Said another voice from behind the door. A clock suddenly stumbled into view behind Lumière, stumbling on awkwardly short legs. As Aqua took in the scene, she suddenly felt faint. What in the world was going on in this place?

As the clock, presumably Cogsworth, finally noticed them all standing there, it jumped back a bit. “Oh, Sora!” He said. “It is always a… _pleasure_ when you visit. I’ll inform the Master about you and your guests.” He scurried off, disappearing into the castle.

Lumière opened the door further, gesturing for them to come inside and smiling as though nothing had happened. “Won’t you come in, _mis amis?_ ”

~

Aqua thought she’d gotten used to the oddities of this world after seeing the talking clock and candlestick, but the massive, bulky, beast-like humanoid still caught her completely off guard when he came to greet them in the entrance hall. Lea, on the other hand, seemed completely unphased by the whole thing.

“Sora,” the Beast said in a low, rumbling voice. “It’s great to see you again. Who have you brought with you?”

“Oh, just my friends. Beast, meet Kairi, Riku, Aqua, and Lea,” he pointed to each of them as he said their names. “Friends, meet Beast. Say, where’s Belle?”

Beast scratched at his face with a clawed hand. “Belle is... preoccupied in the library. As usual.” His face twisted into a smile. He looked back towards each of them. “Any friend of Sora’s is a friend of mine, it’s a pleasure to meet you all. You’re free to stay here as long as you wish.”

“Aw sweet, thanks Beast! We sort of just assumed you’d let us stay, so this is great!”

“You mean you didn’t even _ask_ in advance, Sora? C’mon, I thought _you_ were a better planner than that.” With the last sentence, Riku pointed a finger at Sora.

“Aw, c’mon! Is that your only catchphrase or somethin’?”

“Riku’s right! You’re lucky our host is so generous, Sora!” Kairi joined in on the teasing.

As they teased each other back and forth, Aqua tugged on Lea’s arm, pulling his ear to her mouth. “Is the talking furniture… normal?” She whispered.

“For this world?” He whispered back. “Yes. Don’t question it.”

His hair brushed against Aqua as he leaned over, bringing with it the scent of cinnamon. As the scent filled her nose, she suddenly realized how close she’d pulled him towards her. Their arms were still looped together, her other hand still rested on his bare bicep. If he turned his head toward her, they’d probably be kissing.

 _I don’t think I’d mind that._ Aqua blinked as the thought suddenly intruded into her mind. _No. Don’t think about it, Aqua,_ she chided herself. _Don’t think about what it’d be like to kiss him, or that he probably tastes like cinnamon, and_ definitely _don’t think about how soft his lips are-_ she stopped herself. What in the world was she _thinking?_

Heat rose to her cheeks, and she released his arm, though she kept their arms linked at the elbow. Lea straightened, giving her an odd look but saying nothing.

“Hey, Lea…” Aqua started.

“Yeah?” He was watching her closely, his green eyes thoughtful.

“There’s something-”

“Oh! Beast, you didn’t tell me we were having guests!” A feminine voice cut off Aqua, snapping her attention back to the central staircase. A woman, dressed in a plain blue smock and white apron that somehow suited her, had appeared from the left-side staircase. Her eyes were bright and intelligent, and full of light.

As she made her way down the stairs, Beast turned to her, his eyes warm and full of joy. “Ah, Belle, Sora’s brought his friends to visit.” By the time Belle made it to the bottom of the stairs to stand next to Beast, he’d introduced each of them. Belle looped her arm through Beast’s, and Aqua was acutely aware that she and Lea were still standing in the same way they were.

“It’s wonderful to see new faces,” Belle said, a kind smile on her face. She turned to Beast. “We should have a dinner to celebrate!”

“A ball!” Kairi suddenly shouted. “We should have a ball!”

“Oh that’s a wonderful idea!” Belle clasped her hands together, her bright smile wide. “Surely we can arrange that, Beast?”

Beast scratched at his face again, thinking. “A ball is a... complicated thing to set up on such short notice,” he said, looking at the group of friends. “But I think we can make an exception for our guests. We’ll plan it for tomorrow night, if that’s agreeable.” 

“Well would ya look at that, _my Lady,_ ” Lea teased. “Guess we’re gonna get to go to a ball after all.”

~

“How is one castle so _big?_ ” Aqua asked, her arm still looped around Lea’s.

The two were standing in the grand library of the castle, off to the side while the other three explored the bookshelves on the opposite side of the library. Belle and Beast had left them here while they gotten rooms prepared, leaving the five to entertain themselves for a bit. From the huge window, the stars continued to shine and gleam like diamonds.

Aqua leaned into Lea, pressing her arm against his completely. Their thighs touched, and Lea had to concentrate on keeping his breathing steady. Aqua’s hands were soft and comfortably cool, Lea couldn’t complain too much about having her holding his arm, though having her so close was wreaking havoc on his concentration.

“Who knows?” Lea finally answered. “Probably magic.”

He’d seen this library before, on one of his many reconnaissance missions here; granted, it had been through the massive window. But still, the sheer magnitude and size of the library surprised him, it hadn’t seemed quite so large from the outside. He hadn’t cared much about the castle or its inhabitants the last time he’d been here; the castle had just been another job, it was cold and empty, and ultimately meant nothing to him.

But now, it seemed warm and full of life; something he’d never noticed from the outside. Though if that were due to Belle’s influence, or if had always been this way, Lea couldn’t say. He’d been apprehensive to enter the castle when, at best, he’d been nothing but an intruder before. It was odd to be introduced as one of Sora’s friends, and even odder to be welcomed into the castle as a guest.

Aqua had helped, with her talk of a pretend ball and spooky ghosts. He thought back to the entrance hall, when she’d started to say something, after their faces had only been a few inches apart. Part of him wanted to ask her what she was going to say, but his heart fluttered and skipped at the thought, stopping him.

“It’s certainly bigger than any castle I’ve ever been to,” Aqua continued. “And _weirder._ ”

“Be careful, Aqua, the bookshelves might hear you.”

Aqua shivered and pressed herself closer to Lea. “Don’t tell me _those_ are actually people too!”

“Not to worry, Master, I think you’re safe... this time.”

“You’re terrible! You had me worried for a second, you know!” Aqua said, giving him a playful, but forceful, nudge. She pulled away from him, walking over to the nearest shelf; as her hand left his arm, Lea felt something in his chest ache, like a pang of longing. He didn’t say anything, he merely watched as Aqua ran her finger down the spine of a book. “I wish I had time to read all of these,” she said with a wistful sigh.

Lea could still feel the ghost of her touch along his bicep, the feel of her hand on his arm lingering even though she’d walked away. Trying to refocus himself, he walked up behind Aqua and peered over he shoulder, reading the title that had been printed onto the side.

“I don’t think you’ll be missing anything if you don’t get to read…” he squinted closer at the title. “ _T-_... _Thirty and Flirty_? Who reads this- no, who _writes_ this stuff?”

“Don’t judge a book by its cover! Or in this case, its terrible title,” Aqua laughed. “You never know, it could be great!”

“No thanks,” he said, straightening back up with a stretch. From his position, he could see out the window and into the gardens below; even in the dark, he could see rows upon rows of blossoming flowers. “I think I’ll pass on the cheesy romance.”

“I didn’t peg you for a reader, anyway,” she teased, looking over her shoulder at him.

“What was that about judging a book by its cover, Master? You’d be surprised, I actually like reading from time to time.”

“Oh, really? I wouldn’t have guessed,” she laughed quietly. “What kind of books do you like?”

“Well-” before he could continue, something in the window caught his eye. A dark shape, moving so fast he almost missed it, darted through the garden. He blinked and it was gone, as though it hadn’t even been there in the first place. A familiar cold feeling began creeping up his spine, as though ice were crawling up his back. Something was off about the shadow, something not natural-

“Lea?”

Aqua’s voice snapped him out of it, and the feeling of ice down his back receded. Wary, he tore his gaze from the garden and back to Aqua. “Sorry, what?” 

“Everything okay? You just zoned out.”

“Oh, yeah, no problem! Just uh, thinking, you know?” He couldn’t worry her, she already had too much to deal with. And what would he even say? _I saw a scary shadow! Stranger danger outside!_ He couldn’t raise Aqua’s concerns over a weird shadow; it had probably just been an animal, anyway.

Aqua’s eyes narrowed in concern, analyzing his face. “You sure?”

“Yeah, just tired, that’s all. It _is_ the middle of the night, you know.”

Aqua nodded, but the worry didn’t leave her gaze. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could get a word out, the doors to the library swung open, revealing the living candlestick, Lumière, behind it.

“Your rooms are ready, everyone! If you would all follow me...” the candlestick gestured toward the hallway behind him. Lea had seen the living furniture on his missions to the castle before, but it still creeped him out a bit every time. No matter how many times he saw the candlestick move and talk, or the teapot serve tea by itself, he doubted he’d ever get fully used to it.

The group regathered, following Lumière as he guided them through the castle’s halls. Though sconces periodically lit the hallway, the dull yellow light they cast was eerie; it made the shadows stretch and twist into unnatural shapes. The castle felt unnaturally quiet; even Sora, Riku, and Kairi had stopped chattering and were glancing about nervously. They’d only gona a few steps before Aqua suddenly looped her arm through his again, her hand tight on his upper bicep. 

There were no windows in this hallway, making the only light sources the sconces on the walls. The only sounds were the various creaks and groans as the castle settled, the sounds echoing through the halls. Lea couldn’t help but remember the shadow he’d seen in the garden; it was all too easy to imagine that the castle’s groans belonged to something more sinister. Something dark. The chill down his spine returned, accompanied this time by a tingling sensation, as though someone were dragging their fingers down his back.

“So, I’m not the only one slightly creeped out by this castle, am I?” Lea could feel Aqua’s breath against his ear as she whispered to him.

“Y’know, I would be lying if I said this place didn’t give me the heebie-jeebies, but don’t worry! Big ol’ Lea is still here to protect you.” He forced a smile, trying to ignore the sense of dread building in his chest. He thumped a fist against his chest with mock confidence, turning his head to Aqua and grinning. “Trust me, with me here, everything’s gonna be juuuust fi-”

As if on cue, a cold, harsh draft blasted down the hall, snuffing out all the sconces. The candles extinguished one by by one, and the hallway was plunged into darkness. Not even Lumière’s light was spared from the cold wind, leaving the group in total darkness.

Lea had never been scared of the dark. Not even as a child had the darkness made him nervous. But there was something about this darkness, they way it had blown in on a cold wind, the way the shadows seemed to twist and reach out for him, the way he couldn’t see his friends anymore, that shot terror straight into his heart.

He could still feel Aqua’s hand on his arm, but it felt like she was a world away. As his eyes desperately tried to adjust to the sudden lack of light, he could’ve sworn he saw shapes, slinking and skulking through the dark in jerky, unnatural movements; something about the way they moved reminded him… reminded him of the Dusks.

Even the shadows seemed to move as he peered helplessly into the dark. They reached and grabbed at him, his clothes, his hair, his very being. _Calm down,_ part of him tried to say. _It’s just the dark._ The voice was drowned out by the panic rising through his body and mind.. _They’re here,_ the panic taking over him said. _They’re here!_ His heartbeat picked up, his breath came in rapid gasps as the darkness yawned before him, like the maw of a giant beast.

Another breeze, smaller and colder, blew against Lea’s ear, the one opposite to Aqua. As the wind brushed against him, a familiar voice whispered from the darkness.

“Axel,” Roxas’s voice whispered, straight into his ear. Lea’s heart stopped dead in his chest as the voice of his lost friend echoed through his mind. “I found you!”


	12. Memento Mori

The second the candles snuffed out, Aqua could feel Lea suddenly go rigid. He trembled underneath her fingers, shaking like a leaf in a storm. In front of them, Aqua could make out the faint outlines of Sora, Riku, and Kairi, huddled closely together. Three quick flashes of light told Aqua that the three of them had summoned their keyblades and were holding them at the ready. 

“Now , now,” Lumière said from the darkness. “There’s no need to bring out the weapons, yes? It was just a draft.” Something, presumably Lumière, shifted in the darkness. “Give me just a moment, _mis amis._ ”

Another cool wind, lighter this this time, drifted through the hallway. As it did, Aqua felt Lea’s skin turn cold underneath her hand, and his trembling intensified. His breath was coming in shallow, ragged gasps. _Is he scared of the dark?_ Aqua wondered.

“Lea?” She whispered, calling for him. “Lea, it’s okay, it was just the wind.”

“No, that wasn’t just the wind, I-” Lea paused, taking a deep breath.

_You what, Lea? Tell me, please…_

“I don’t-... I can’t...” His voice broke and died off, leaving the sentence hanging in the air. In the darkness, Aqua could faintly see his eyes, darting around the hall, looking everywhere except for Aqua. “ _Aqua,_ ” he managed. “ _There’s someone here._ ”

“What?! Who-” she was cut off by the lights suddenly returning, igniting all at once and illuminating the hallway once again. Next to her, she could finally see Lea again. His skin was blanched, all the color drained out of it. His eyes were as wide as saucers, his irises wavering as he looked down the long hallway.

It was as though he’d seen a ghost.

Aqua followed his gaze, past the other three and down the hallway, half expecting to see something, or someone, standing there. But there was nothing; the hallway had been exactly as it had been before; the only people in the hallway were the five of them and Lumière.

“Lea… there’s nobody there,” Aqua said, turning back to him. 

In front of them, Sora, Riku, and Kairi had lowered their keyblades and were looking back at Lea with concern. Even Lumière had turned around and was looking at him nervously.

“Is everything okay, Axel?” Kairi asked, her brow creased.

Lea didn’t look at her as she spoke; his eyes still focused on the hallway past her.

“I-... I just thought I heard something,” he swallowed. He’d stopped shaking when the lights came on, but Aqua could still feel how tense he was. Lea glanced behind him, still looking for something that wasn’t there. “But I guess I was just hearing things.” He turned back to them, forcing a laugh.The worry in Aqua’s chest tightened, as though someone were twisting her insides into knots. Something was wrong with Lea; first there was that moment in the library, and now this? 

“Well, now that the lights are back,” Lumière suddenly said, breaking the silence. “Shall we continue?” The candlestick didn’t wait for an answer before he resumed hopping down the corridor, leading the way once again. 

Aqua, Sora, Riku, and Kairi all cast concerned glances at Lea, who was still focused on the hallway ahead. They looked at each other, sharing an uneasy look before reluctantly following Lumière. Aqua had to give Lea’s arm a gentle tug to snap him out of his reverie and get him moving, and even then he shuffled and stumbled as he walked. Whatever he’d thought he’d heard or saw had shaken him to his core.

Worry creeped into Aqua’s chest. Had he actually seen something, or was his mind playing tricks on him? He’d seemed to be happier and more carefree after talking about his past on Destiny Islands, but now he seemed worse than he’d been before.

She squeezed his arm, trying her best to reassure him. They couldn’t talk here, with the others so close, but she could at least let him know she was there for him in some capacity. He jumped a bit, suddenly seeming to remember she was there, before turning to her and giving her a small, grateful smile. Despite the smile on his face, his eyes betrayed how anxious and nervous he was. 

They walked on in tense, uncomfortable silence, all lightheartedness they’d been feeling gone. Lea jumped at every shadow and creak of the hallway, and the three in front of them weren’t fairing much better; Sora, Riku, and Kairi were huddled close together as the walked, each looking around nervously, as if expecting the lights to suddenly go out again.

It wasn’t long until Lumière eventually guided them into what looked to be a common room. Six doors, evenly spaced apart, flanked a stone fireplace. A warm, low fire was slowly burning inside, lighting the room a soft orange. Two couches sat facing opposite each other, an oak coffee table sitting between them; all of their things had been neatly placed on top of it. The room was cozy, but Aqua couldn’t bring herself to feel any better, not after what had happened in the hallway.

“Here we are,” Lumière said with a sweeping gesture. “As the Master said, you are all free to stay here as long as you wish, _mis amis._ If you need anything, just a give a shout!” 

Before anyone could respond, the candlestick hopped back down the hall they’d came from and disappeared into the gloom.

Kairi exhaled loudly, sighing with relief. “That was the spookiest hallway _ever!_ ”

“Agreed,” Sora said, flopping onto one of the couches. “Let’s _never_ visit this place at night again.”

Riku laughed, crossing his arms. “I thought you two said this place was _pretty_?”

“It is!” Sora protested. “In the daytime!”

Aqua gave Lea’s arm one last squeeze before letting go and stepped towards the three teenagers. She clapped her hands together. “Alright you three, it’s _way_ past your bedtime. Pick a room and go to sleep.”

“We aren’t kids, Aqua,” Sora scoffed. “We don’t _have_ bedtimes.”

“How are you gonna go to the ball tomorrow if you’re tired from staying up all night?” Aqua countered, raising a brow.

“Alright, alright, you win!” Sora hauled himself off the couch, following Riku and Kairi as they grabbed their things and made their way to right set of doors. Riku cast one last look at Lea and Aqua before waving goodnight and vanishing into one of the room. Sora and Kairi embraced each other tightly, and Sora whispered something into Kairi’s ear that made her laugh. They waved goodnight and slipped into their respective rooms, leaving Aqua and Lea alone.

Aqua exhaled slowly, centering herself. With the teens gone she was free to talk to Lea about… whatever had happened in the hallway.

“Lea,” she said, turning back to face him. “Did you-”

He was already halfway through his open doorway, his bag slung over a shoulder.

“Huh? Is there something you need?” He turned his head, looking at Aqua. 

“You said… you heard something, right? Who-”

“No, I _thought_ I heard something; that’s completely different, Master.” Lea took a step further into his room. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m _really_ tired and need to get ready for-”

“ _Lea._ If something is out there, if we’re in _danger,_ I need to know.” 

“No, no, I just-” Lea rubbed the back of his head. He sighed. “You’re really putting me in a bad spot, Master. I thought I heard an old friend, that’s all.”

“A friend?”

“Yeah, but it’s not like it could’ve been him. He isn’t… he isn’t around anymore, if you catch my drift.”

“Oh, you mean-” Aqua looked away from Lea, frowning. “I’m sorry, if I’d have known I wouldn’t have-”

“Hey, it’s fine. No way you could’ve known, right? Honestly, don’t even worry about it…” He turned away from her again. “Night, Aqua.” 

He started to shut the door. “Lea, wait!” Aqua called, rushing forward and catching the door before it could close. “Talk to me, Lea. Don’t shut me out.”

“Aqua, I can’t. I just, I’m not ready.” He wouldn’t meet her eyes.

She took his hand in both of hers, squeezing it gently. His hands were rough and calloused; probably from years of fighting, but at the same time, they were also warm and gentle. “You _are_ ready, Lea. I won’t force you to talk about it, but I’m here to listen, always. I won’t hate you, no matter what you did or what happened, I could _never_ hate you. So let me listen, Lea. Let me help you.”

His eyes, still not meeting hers, widened. He dragged his gaze upward, toward Aqua. They looked at each other, the silence stretching out as Lea thought.“Alright,” he finally breathed, pushing the door open wide enough to let her through. 

They entered the room together, Aqua still holding onto Lea’s hand. This bedroom was wide and spacious, adorned with ornate wooden furniture and a lush carpet. A wide window, its soft, white curtains drawn open, revealed a stunning view of the gardens outside. The moon, in its crescent phase, hung in the sky, lighting up the room as well as the gardens outside. 

Lea released his hand from Aqua’s, moving to the window. He unzipped his bag and rooted around in it for a second before pulling out a familiar object. He tossed it to Aqua wordlessly, and she fumbled to catch it. 

Her breath caught in her throat as she found herself once again looking at the mysterious popsicle stick. She looked back up again to find Lea sitting on the windowsill, his bag on the floor, one leg up on the windowsill with him and the other hanging loosely. The moonlight hitting him made his hair and face glow a silvery white.

“That was the last thing he ever gave me: a winning popsicle stick.” He looked down at the sill, smiling sadly to himself. “I always wondered what one of these got ya, since never got one myself. Roxas-” Lea flinched, as if something had hit him. “He was lucky enough to get one. He never, uh… never got to redeem it though.”

“Why didn’t you? Ever get to find out what you won, I mean.”

“It’s… a long story,” he forced a laugh, looking out the window. “He worked with Organization XIII with me; that’s how we met. But... I think I’ll just skip all the boring stuff, if you don’t mind.” He paused, leaving the two in silence for a minute. “I didn’t do enough to save him. Things just sorta… fell apart between us, and in the end, he left, and never came back. Pretty sure I didn’t help much with that.”

“You said he’s gone, but how do you know he’s not still out there?” Aqua cut in. “Maybe if we go and look-”

“I’ve already found him, Master.” Aqua stared at him, blinking. “He is… was Sora’s nobody.”

Realization hit Aqua like a truck as her mind putting the pieces together. 

“If he didn’t go back to Sora, none of us would be standing here.” Lea continued. “In a way, I guess it’s sorta selfish of me to miss him. I _couldn’t_ even miss him if Sora didn’t…” His breath hitched, and his left hand drifted to the right side of his abdomen, clenching it as though he were remembering an old pain. 

“I could’ve saved him,” Lea breathed, his voice barely above a whisper. “He was _right there_ and I couldn’t stop him from returning to Sora.”

“But that’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it was. But what I did after… wasn’t.”

“What did you…?”

“I wanted Roxas back. More than anything in the world, I wanted him back. For the first time since becoming a Nobody, _I wanted,_ and I’d do anything to get him back.”

“Lea, what did you do?”

“Nobodies are born when a strong-willed person becomes a Heartless. Sora had become a Heartless once already. How hard could it be to make him become one again?”

Aqua’s eyes widened. “You tried to turn him into a Heartless,” she gasped. “So Roxas would come back.”

“Bingo.”

Aqua stared at him, wide-eyed. 

“I kidnapped Kairi,” he continued. “I took the person he cared about most. It was only fair, in my mind. He took Roxas from me, so I’d take Kairi.”

Aqua thought back to Destiny Islands, back to Lea and Kairi building their glass castle. If Lea had kidnapped her, what had changed between them to make them such fast friends?

Lea’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. “I didn’t want to hurt her, not really. But things didn’t go as planned; they never seem to, do they? Saïx found us, and he took her- no, I _let_ him take her; I was… I was scared of dying. I was scared of never seeing Roxas again, and so I ran away to save myself.

“But then… then I thought about what Roxas would say to me, what he’d think of what i’d done. And I realized… what I was doing wasn’t right. So I tried… I tried to fix things. Sora and his friends happened to find the Corridor we had leading to the Organization’s stronghold, but, there was one little problem: the Organization knew, and they sent nearly every Dusk in existence after them. I was able to get there in time, thankfully, but… I was wounded and exhausted. He was holding his own and all, but I knew it wouldn’t last, and I knew _I_ wouldn’t last. Long story short, I did everything I could to make sure he got through- put every bit of my being into wiping out those dusks. And that was enough to do me in.”

He stopped talking briefly, as though recalling the feeling. “I started fading. I could feel everything that made me, _me_ just… disappearing. I never knew what it was like until then, and to be honest, I wish I could’ve forgotten that feeling. But despite that I was… I was happy. I’d gone out on my own terms, I’d righted some of my wrongs, and I could finally just _rest_. 

“After that, everything felt... surreal. I was back at my old hangout in Twilight Town, like it was all a dream. I had ice cream in my hand, and I just sat there, for who knows how long. Then…”

Another pause. “Then I saw him. I saw Roxas, sitting next to me. We finally talked, for the first time in a year, and then everything just faded into _nothing._ There was nothing, absolutely _nothing_. Until… until there wasn’t. I can’t… I can’t really describe what it was like to feel nothing, and then suddenly everything all at once. But the point is, I didn’t die, like I thought I did; instead I woke up, back where my heart had been ripped out. Back in Radiant Garden. I got to wake up again, but Roxas… Roxas didn’t”

Lea turned, looking out into the garden once again. “Part of me is scared Roxas still blames me for everything that happened. And to be honest, if he did, I wouldn’t blame him. That’s why, in the hallway, when I thought I heard him? I just… panicked.”

“So that’s it. Every last one of my dark secrets,” he finished. “If you don’t want to be around me right now, I understand,” he forced a laugh. “I wouldn’t want to be near me, either.”

Aqua didn’t say anything, her mind whirling. No wonder he’d been so freaked out in the hallway before. She walked up to the windowsill and sat opposite him, her back pressed against the window. They way he’d talked about dying had shaken her; he’d said he’d died, that he’d sacrificed himself for Sora, but she’d had no idea it’d been… like that.

“When I was trapped in the Realm of Darkness,” she began. “I was haunted by… by myself. For a long time, she would taunt me with all my failures; she’d taunt me about Ven and Terra, and my Master, about, well, everything.

“There in the darkness, I’d see these… these phantoms of Ven and Terra, and I’d chase them and chase them, but they were always just out of my reach. I was always so close, but I was never fast enough. When I finally _did_ catch up to them… I was too late. I couldn’t save them, then. My dark self taunted me about that, too.”

Lea looked at her, his eyes watching her intently as she spoke. “But I know… I know in my heart that I _will_ see them again. I am more than my darkness, I’m more than the worst parts of me. And you are too.” She pulled out her Wayfinders, both the one she’d made and the one Lea had made. “We can’t do anything alone, Lea, and you’re no exception. I thought I could do everything all by myself, but the thing is, I couldn’t, and trying to do things solo just wound up making things worse. 

“Roxas forgives you, Lea, he’s your best friend. And Sora, Kairi, and Riku have forgiven you, too. And I know that one day, you’ll see Roxas again, and he’ll be just as happy to see you as you are to see him.”

Aqua stood, moving to a wide-eyed Lea. Before he could react, she leaned down, wrapping him in a tight embrace. Lea tensed at her touch. “I said I could never hate you,” she said, resting her chin on his shoulder. “And that’s still true. We’re human, Lea. We all make mistakes, we all do things we regret. And how could I hate someone for being human?”

“...Aqua- Master, I-” Lea stopped, lost for words. He slowly returned the embrace, as though he were afraid she’d vanish. Still in their embrace, Aqua lowered herself onto the windowsill, so she was sitting next to Lea. They sat in each other’s arms for what felt like an eternity. “I miss him,” Lea breathed.

“I know,” she whispered. “I miss them, too. We’ll find them, together.”

Lea didn’t answer, instead, he hugged her closer. As their bodies pressed together, the warm scent of cinnamon filled Aqua’s nose. She felt warm and content; the tired part of her wanted nothing more than to fall asleep right then and there, in Lea’s arms.

“...So, uh, were you gonna ask to bunk together again, or…” Lea coughed, breaking the silence.

Aqua’s eyes snapped open. 

“N-no!” She stammered, breaking the hug as her cheeks heated. “I-I mean, as nice as it’d be, what would the others think?”

Lea raised an eyebrow, all signs of his previous grief now replaced with amusement. “Relax, Aqua, I was kiddin’!”

Flustered, she rose to her feet. “T-thank you for t-talking to me, Lea!” She practically shouted. “But it’s late and I-I should really get some rest!”

Lea laughed. “Thank _you_ Aqua. You always seem to know how to cheer me up.” He walked her to the door, opening it and stepping aside. ”See you at the ball?”

“O-of course!” She walked back into the common room, her heart pounding. “Goodnight, Lea,” she managed, her hand on the doorknob of her room. 

“Night, Aqua.” He gave her one last, mischievous smile before disappearing into his room.

Aqua darted into her room. The moment the door shut behind her, she pressed her back against it and slid downward until she was sitting, a hand clutched to her racing heart. _The ball._ She’d somehow forgotten about the ball while talking to Lea. She’d have to dress up, and dance, and she didn’t even have a dress, and _Lea_ would be there -

_What in the_ world _have I gotten myself into?_


	13. Moonlit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay in this chapter! Hope you guys enjoy, thank you for reading!
> 
> -TheBlackSouledFox

“Ow- ow! Kairi, that hurts!” Lea complained.

“Sorry!” She clipped. “I’m almost done, I promise!” She dragged the brush through his hair again, prompting another series of “ows!” from Lea. 

Lea stared at himself in the mirror of the vanity Kairi had seated him in front of; his eyes, red rimmed and dark underneath, stared back. Kairi stood behind him, brush in hand as she worked on tugging his hair into shape.

After talking about Roxas with Aqua, Lea had spent the rest of the night tossing and turning for what seemed like hours before a restless sleep finally claimed him. 

It had felt like he’d only closed his eyes for a few heartbeats before he’d been awoken by Kairi, dressed in a poofy pink ball gown with her hair done up into an elaborate bun, hovering over him, a devilish grin on her face. _Come on, Lea!_ She’d said, tugging him out of bed for the second time that week. _The ball’s tonight; we have work to do, and you slept in till noon!_

It turned out “work” had meant letting Kairi dress him up and force his hair into a presentable shape. He’d been sitting front of the vanity mirror in his bedroom for hours now -so long that the sun outside had begun to set- with Kairi pulling and prodding his unruly hair into different styles. After what seemed like an eternity, Kairi gave up trying to tame his hair and settled on a simple ponytail.

“There.” She took a step back. “All done.”

Lea meet his reflection’s eyes; they were full of incredulous doubt as he looked over himself. Kairi had left the ponytail intentionally loose and messy, strands of hair still hung free and framed his face. It didn’t look bad, but it was certainly... odd to see his hair up. His eyes drifted to the clothes Kairi had _acquired,_ from where, Lea had no idea.

She’d dressed him in a black, sleeveless waistcoat, trimmed white and maroon, over a collared, white button-up, its sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His pants were simple and black, a single stripe of maroon going down each leg. His tie, tucked neatly into his vest, was a deep wine red; he’d had to tie himself after Kairi attempted to tie it for him and almost strangled him in the process. Kairi hadn’t let him keep his comfy boots, instead trading them in for pointed dress shoes.

“What do you think?” She asked, her hands on her hips and a proud gleam in her eye.

“It’s certainly... something.” He had to admit, a part of him liked it; though he missed the clothes the fairies had made him. These, while looking nice, hugged his body tightly, showing off every curve and edge. Hopefully, he wouldn’t have to fight anything in these.

“You look great, Aqua will _love_ it.”

“You think?” Lea stood, rising from the stool and stretching. Kairi circled him, a thoughtful hand on her chin as she looked him up and down. 

When she’d completed a lap around him, she stopped and gave a satisfied nod. “You clean up nice,” she said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It _means,_ ” Kairi huffed. “That we’re gonna be late if you don’t hurry up!”

Lea looked at himself in the mirror again, suddenly unsure. “I dunno Kairi, do you think this look kinda screams: ‘last minute?’”

“Oh come on, are you saying you don’t trust my sense of fashion?”

“No- no, that’s not what I’m saying at all, Kairi!”

“Then what’s the problem? Go on, get out there!” Kairi put her hands on her hips, leaning forward and staring at Lea. “Don’t tell me… you’re scared of asking Aqua to dance?”

“I’m not _scared,_ ” Lea protested. “I just… haven’t done this in a while.”

He remembered the way Aqua had hugged him tightly, how he’d been able to feel her heartbeat against his chest as they’d embraced. 

He’d asked Aqua if she’d wanted to spend the night in his bedroom, surely asking her to dance wasn’t any harder. His eyes gaze drifted to the windowsill; he could see the gardens from where he sat, though now they were illuminated by the sunset rather than the moon. A row of blue-and-white flowers, eye-catching in the sun, found his gaze, and an idea popped into his mind.

_Wasn’t there a vase around here somewhere?_

“You’ll do great, Axel,” Kairi smiled. “There’s no way you can mess this up.”

“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence!” He shot back, looking around the room. It wasn’t hard to find the tall, crystal vase sitting on the nightstand, glittering like a beacon in the sunlight.

“Anytime,” Kairi laughed, moving to the door of his room. “You ready?”

“Actually, before we go, Kairi…”

“Hmm?”

“Do you know anything about flowers?”

~

Warm, orange light poured in from the setting sun, lighting up the ballroom in bright and beautiful golds. Light bounced off the shining, polished floors, forcing Lea to squint as he and Kairi entered the ballroom. A massive chandelier, shining like a jewel, hung over head, adding to the glimmer of lights.The whole room had been decorated in gold and silver streamers that hung from the second floor of the ballroom. Long tables, filled from end to end with platters upon platters of food, sat at the opposite end of the room, attended to by Lumiere and Cogsworth. Music, slow and sweet, sounded throughout the ballroom and filled the air. Lea couldn’t see any instruments; the music seemed to materialize from nowhere as if by magic.

Sora and Riku, dressed similarly to Lea, were standing off to one side, talking amongst themselves. Riku was leaned against one of the columns, listening intently as Sora gestured wildly, seemingly telling Riku a story. Riku spotted the pair as they walked further into the ballroom, and raised a hand in greeting; Sora turned and gave a wave, beckoning the two over. Kairi and Lea waved back and made their way over to the pair.

“Wow, Kairi, you look- you look absolutely amazing! I really love your dress, it looks awesome on you!” Sora’s jaw slackened as Kairi did a small twirl for Sora, sending the skirt of her dress swishing around her.

“Aw, thanks Sora!” She giggled. “I knew it’d be something you’d like!”

Lea leaned on the column, positioning himself next to Riku. “Are they always like this?” He whispered, watching as Sora took Kairi’s hand in his, holding it upward as she twirled. Their eyes were gleaming with unbridled joy. 

Riku smiled knowingly, crossing his arms. “You get used to it.”

As he watched the two spin and dance and laugh, Lea’s mind wandered. It was easy to imagine himself taking Aqua’s hand, holding it as she danced and twirled, letting all their troubles melt away. 

“Yeah, I could get used to it,” he said without thinking.

“Huh?” Riku said quizzically, turning to look at Lea.

“Er, I mean-... Hey, have you seen Aqua?”

Riku looked back towards the still dancing Sora and Kairi. “Not since this morning, while you were sleeping like a log.” Lea could hear him trying not to snicker.  
“What can I say? I need my beauty rest.”

“Clearly, you don’t get enough.”

“Hey-!”

“Well,” a voice interrupted him. “I think it’s working, personally.” The two turned to the voice, find Aqua standing a few feet from them. Neither of them had noticed the large doors opening, or Aqua’s entrance.

Lea’s eyes widened as he took in her appearance. Her dress, sleeveless and form-fitting, flowed all the way down to her high heels, skirting the floor. A slit cut into the skirt went all the way up the left side of Aqua’s leg, ending at her mid thigh. The bodice of the dress was covered in white, shining sequins and jewels, making Aqua look radiant in the sunlight. The sequins trailed down the skirt of the dress; where the bodice ended, the skirt was a soft, dark blue, and got darker closer to the bottom. The dress was like a field of stars on the night sky. 

Her hair had been pinned away from her face. A light blue veil, so see-through and sheer it almost looked white, was attached to a sparkling headband. It flowed from the top of her head and down her back, ending at the floor.

Lea opened his mouth to say something, anything, but he couldn’t seem to make the words come out.

“I think you’re drooling, Lea,” Riku whispered, elbowing Lea sharply and snapping him out of his thoughts.

“What?! Am not, liar!”

Aqua giggled. “You two are looking handsome,” she said through her laughs. 

“Aqua…” Lea struggled to find words. “I think you’re making the stars jealous.”

Her cheeks tinted a bright pink. “W-Well, I think the sunlight is very envious of _you_ , Lea.”

Next to him, Riku opened his mouth, probably to give a sly response, but before he could say anything, Sora and Kairi stopped their dance to join them.

“You look _amazing_ , Aqua!” Kairi gushed, her eyes sparkling as she looked Aqua up and down. “Where in the world did you get that?”

“It’s Belle’s,” Aqua replied with a soft, almost embarrassed, smile. “She fitted it for me this morning.”

“Speaking of, where are th-” Riku was cut off by the sudden sound of doors swinging open, echoing throughout the ballroom and cutting through the music.

As the large entrance doors opened once again, Belle, her arm hooked through Beast’s, stepped through the doorway. Belle was smiling brightly, and even the Beast’s fierce expression was warm as the two took in the ballroom and the gathered guests.

“Oh, you all look absolutely wonderful! I’m so glad we could put this together, isn’t that right, Beast?”

“Hm? Oh- oh, yes! I’m glad as well, Belle. I have to agree, our guests are putting on quite the spectacle.”

“We’re putting on a spectacle! Speak for yourself, you two look great!” Sora grinned.

Kairi nodded in agreement. “Yeah, you guys really went all out on this ball _and_ your outfits!”

Beast spread his arms wide. “Enough talking, all of us are present! I can see no reason to hold the ball back any longer, can you, Belle?”

She shook her head, smiling. “Of course not, let the festivities begin!” As she spoke, the music crescendoed, and the lights dimmed, again, as though by magic. Even in the lowered light, Aqua still gleamed and sparkled as though she were a living, breathing star.

“C’mon Sora, that means it’s time to dance!” Kairi grabbed Sora’s arm, giggling. “And don’t think _you’re_ getting out of it, Riku!” With her free hand taking Riku’s arm, she dragged them closer to the center of the room. Riku groaned, but failed to hide his smile as the three of them took each others’ hands.

“I think that’s _our_ cue too, Beast.” Belle’s laughed softly, putting her other hand on Beast’s arm as they walked to the center of the ballroom, leaving Lea and Aqua alone by the pillar.

_Okay,_ he thought to himself. _Just gotta ask her to dance. No problem. No problem at all._

“Well,” Lea stretched, trying to act casual despite his heart racing in his chest. “Looks like it’s just you and me again, huh?” 

“So it seems,” Aqua said, her eyes not on him, but on Sora, Kairi, and Riku, dancing together in the center of the ballroom. The three of them were all holding hands, spinning and laughing together and they moved across the room. Even Riku wasn’t immune to their joy, he was smiling wider than Lea had ever seen him.

Lea scrambled for something to say to Aqua, trying desperately to work up the courage to ask her to dance, to say _anything_ really. The silence stretched between them, each heartbeat feeling like an eternity. 

_This is easy, c’mon, Lea!_

“Hey, Aqua-” he said, breaking the silence at the same time Aqua began to speak.

“So, Lea-” 

“Oh, you first-”

“Go ahead, please-”

They both blinked, staring at each other for a moment before bursting out laughing.

“Here,” Lea said as their laughter died down. “Let’s just say it at the same time, okay?”

Aqua raised an incredulous eyebrow. “If you say so. On three?”

“On three.”

“One, two, three-”

“Did you want to dance with me?” They both said, simultaneously, their voices echoing in unison.

Aqua’s cheeks turned a bright pink, and Lea could feel his own face heating up as well. Of all the things he’d expected Aqua to ask, he certainly hadn’t expected her to ask him to dance. 

“Is that a yes?” He asked, laughing in an attempt to dispel his nerves.

Aqua smiled, warmly and genuinely. “Yes,” she breathed.

He held out a hand to her, and she shifted to take it. As she turned, her skirt swished and shuffled, the sequins shining and glittering as she moved; the veil floated behind her on a phantom wind. Every movement make the dress sparkle in the low light, making Aqua look radiant. Lea’s breath caught in his throat, and he had to force himself not to stare as he led Aqua by the hand to the center of the ballroom.

“Have you ever danced before?” Aqua asked as they stopped walking. She put her free hand on his shoulder, and Lea could feel his already racing heart beat faster, so intense and fast he could hear it in his ears.

He had to think about it for a moment; he hadn’t danced since he was a teenager, back before Radiant Garden had been swallowed by darkness.“Once,” he answered, placing his own free hand on her waist. He could feel the warmth of her both through the thin, smooth fabric of the dress. The hand holding hers was trembling, though Aqua didn’t seem to notice as she gently, but firmly, held it in hers. “A long time ago. I’m a _bit_ out of practice.” 

Aqua smiled. “I promise I won’t judge… too badly. Just follow my lead and you’ll do you fine! Probably.”

“Gee, thanks, Master.”

Aqua started to move, backstepping in one elegant motion and swinging both of them into a dance. She moved and stepped in time to the slow, melodious music, and Lea did his best to follow her step-for-step.

“See?” Aqua said. “It’s not so hard.”

“Easy for you to say,” Lea replied, his voice breathy as he tried to concentrate on both what Aqua was saying and not stepping on her toes at the same time. “I didn’t think you were the dancing type.”

“Oh, I _love_ dancing,” Aqua smiled, her eyes warm. “It’s fun, don’t you think?” 

As she guided Lea through the dance, the sun finally set below the horizon, revealing the now full moon hanging in the sky. Large and luminous, it cast silver light into the ballroom, casting everything in a white glow. Aqua’s dress sparkled like a star as she spun them around; it was as though the dress had been cut from the night sky itself.

“Yeah,” Lea struggled to form words, his mind completely distracted by Aqua. “It is... Still don’t think I’m very good though.”

“I think you’re doing just fine! You haven’t stepped on my toes yet, so I’ll count that as a win,” she laughed, squeezing his shoulder. “Look, all you have to do is… listen to the music. _Feel_ it, you know? Let it move you.”

“It’s kinda hard to feel music, Aqua. It’s not exactly a physical thing, y’know?”

“Oh, hush! You know _exactly_ what I meant!”

“Alright, alright,” he laughed. “I’ll _feel_ the music.” He focused inward, calming his racing heart and letting himself “feel” the music, like Aqua had said. 

The world melted away, until it was just him, Aqua, the music enveloping them as though it were a living thing. His heartbeat picked up again as his eyes met Aqua’s, full of light and joy. She smiled, and it was as though the rest of the world stopped existing; Lea totally forgot about the ballroom, the others dancing and laughing around them, the moonlight outside… the only thing that mattered was Aqua.

Each of Aqua’s steps was sure and confident, as though she’d planned every move in advance. She moved as easily as she normally did, despite the heels and dress. If Lea didn’t know any better, he’d have sworn she was floating; and he was floating right there with her. He forgot about his restless sleep, his nightmares, the pain of the past, even if only for a brief moment, and allowed himself to be lost in the music, to be lost in _Aqua._

The music sped up, and Aqua picked up the pace with it, Lea following easily now. Aqua’s dress shimmered and gleamed with each step, sending light scattering and bouncing in every direction. As the two stepped and danced, they’d somehow ended up closer to each other, their bodies nearly touching. Aqua’s squeezed his shoulder again, and he squeezed her waist in response. 

The music continued to pick up, faster and faster, evolving from a slow ballroom dance into a fast-paced waltz. Aqua transitioned into the waltz effortlessly, and Lea, trusting in her, allowed her to guide him, one step at a time as they danced faster and faster. The ballroom, and the others dancing, became a formless blur. Even the moon outside became indistinct and shapeless as Aqua lead them through the dance. 

As the music crescendoed, Aqua pulled Lea even closer than they already were, closing the space between them almost completely. Lea’s heart raced in his chest, though from the dance or his proximity to Aqua, he couldn’t tell. Their faces were inches away, like they’d been in the entryway; so close, he could kiss her.

As the music began to reach its end, Aqua suddenly started shifting backwards, leaning all her weight back towards the floor. Sensing what she was about to do, Lea shifted his hand to her upper back at the same time she tipped completely backwards. He caught her weight, supporting her as she leaned back, leaning so far that she was almost parallel to the floor. One leg was raised upward, her other planted firmly into the ground as Lea held her up. 

Again, their faces were only a hair’s breadth from each other as Lea leaned to support her weight. Their breaths came in rapid pants, their eyes meeting as the music ended with a final, triumphant note. Aqua’s eyes were wide, filled with exhilaration, and Lea could only imagine his looked the same. 

“And you said you couldn’t dance,” Aqua said, her voice breathless and full of wonder at the same time.

“I never said I couldn’t dance, I just said I was out of practice.” He said, his own voice just as breathless.

“Could’ve fooled me.”. 

“Is that so?”

Moonlight streamed through the open window, casting Aqua in soft, silver light, giving her an otherworldly and ethereal appearance. Her eyes stared straight into his, her expression warm as she blinked slowly, her lids heavy. The music picked up again, but Lea hardly noticed, all he was focused on was Aqua, how close she was, how little space there was between them… how much he wanted to close that distance and kiss her.

Aqua’s eyes drifted downward to his mouth, then back up to his eyes. She released the hand holding his, reaching upward, towards his face. Lea did the same with his own, cupping the back of her head as her fingertips, light as a feather, brushed against his cheek. 

He pulled her in, closing the distance even further. Aqua’s fingers traced down his cheek and traveled down his jawline, sending pleasant shivers down his back and through his body. They inched closer and closer; Lea shut his eyes, readying to close the final distance before their lips met-

“Hey, Lea, Aqua!” Sora called, off to his right. Lea’s eyes snapped open, and he saw Aqua do the same, her cheeks heating a furious red. Lea, realizing what position they were in, and just how close they were, straightened, setting Aqua onto her feet. She coughed into her hand and took a step away from Lea as Sora ran up to them, his eyes alight with childlike joy.

“Come dance with us!” He insisted. “We should all dance together for at least one song.”

“O-Oh!” Aqua stammered, her cheeks still burning pink. She looked to Lea, then back to Sora. “Of course, Sora.”

Lea blinked, still reeling from the almost-kiss. He forced a nonchalant smile onto his face. “Oh- oh yeah, a group dance! Sounds good, Sora.”

Sora smiled broadly, grabbing both of them by the hand and leading them back to Kairi and Riku, who were waiting patiently. Belle and Beast were still dancing, completely oblivious to the world around them. _Did Aqua and I look like that?_ Lea wondered as he watched the couple smile and laugh as they spun around the ballroom.

As the three of them joined the others, Kairi cast a sharp look to Sora before turning her gaze to Lea and giving him a sympathetic look. 

_Next time,_ her eyes said.

Lea gave her a silent nod as the five of them joined hands.

_Next time._


	14. Lillies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Huge apologies for the big delay! I've been very busy with (a Kingdom Hearts themed!) inktober, which slowed down the progress of the fic. Since there was such a big delay, we decided to make the chapter a bit longer! We really hope you enjoy, and thank you so much for reading! If you'd like to check out my inktober stuff, or just hang out and talk to us, our shared tumblr is [here](http://seasaltandlostdreams.tumblr.com/)!
> 
> Thanks for being so patient!
> 
> -TheBlacksouledfox

As Aqua joined hands with the others, Lea to her left and Sora to her right, her mind was someplace else entirely; her body moved on its own as they began to spin and dance and laugh. 

She’d been less than an inch away from kissing Lea… so close, and yet so far away. The distance between them had felt a mile wide, but she’d _wanted_ to close that gap, she’d _wanted_ to press her lips softly against his; she’d wanted it more than anything in that moment.

She breathed in slowly, trying to calm her racing heart and instead to focus on the group’s dancing. Sora, Kairi, and Riku seemed to be oblivious to her state, letting themselves flow with the music. Lea, on the other hand, seemed just as distracted as her. His eyes were distant, looking off into nowhere as though he were daydreaming.

At some point, the group split as Kairi broke away and dragged Lea off by the hand, despite his protests. Sora, seeing Kairi and Lea being to dance, took Riku and Aqua by the hand. “So much for a group dance,” he laughed as the three of them began to move in tandem.

“You know how Kairi is,” Riku said, a faint smile on his face. “She does what her heart tells her to.”

The three continued their dance, and though Aqua was enjoying herself, she’d missed dancing with Lea. It’d been forever since she’d danced with someone like that; the last time had been years ago, with… with Terra, during a small party Master Eraqus had put together for his three students.. And while Terra was elegant and powerful on the battlefield… the dance floor was a totally different story. 

But Lea… after he’d gotten serious, dancing with him had been… _exhilarating._ It been hard to let herself enjoy things after her time in the Realm of Darkness. It was even harder to feel like herself again. Dancing with Lea had been the first time in what seemed like ages she’d let herself let go and just enjoyed _living_.

“-you think, Aqua? ...Aqua?” Aqua blinked at Sora’s voice, brought back to reality. “Jeez Aqua, you really spaced out there!”

“S-sorry, Sora. What’d you say?”

“I asked what you thought Kairi and Lea were talking about, remember?”

Aqua glanced at the pair; sure enough, they seemed to be in the middle of a passionate conversation as they danced. Kairi, her hands in Lea’s, was speaking with seeming sympathy, her eyes wide and open. Lea, on the other hand, still looked lost and dazed.

“I’m telling you, it’s not our business,” Riku said, cutting Sora a sideways glance.

“And _I’m_ telling you, it's different! It's not like we're asking them, it's just some… friendly assumptions! Well Aqua, what do you think?”

“I think…” She looked at Kairi and Lea again. “Maybe they’re talking about… keyblade training?”

“Keyblade… training?” Sora gave her a strange look. “I was thinking more along the lines of how _cool_ and awesome I am-”

“No,” Riku interrupted, obviously holding back a laugh. “Definitely not. I’d believe they’re talking about _keyblade training_ before they talk about how ‘cool’ you are.”

“Aw, come on, I’m kidding!”

As the two playfully bickered back and forth, Aqua became lost in thought again, occasionally snapping out of her reverie to laugh with Riku and Sora as they told each other jokes and stories. 

It was only when Aqua stumbled, her world suddenly tilting, that she realized how exhausted she was. As she lost her balance, her high heels tripped her, causing her stumble to go into a full fall. Before she could completely tip over, a set of rough, yet now familiar, hands caught her by the arms, steadying her.

“Whoa,” Lea said from behind her. “I know I’m good-looking, but I didn’t think you’d actually _swoon_ when I got close.”

He helped her to her feet, giving her arms a soft squeeze before letting go. She blinked at him, her eyes suddenly feeling dry and heavy. “Oh please,” Aqua smiled. “You _wish_ you could make me swoon.”

Kairi stood behind Lea, a small, tired smile on her face. Around them, the music had softened into a slow, relaxing medley that wasn’t helping with Aqua’s exhaustion. Even Belle and Beast had stopped dancing, and were talking quietly to each other off to the side of the room.

Lea blinked at her. “I don't get it. Why would I wish for something I can already do?”

“I think,” Riku cut in before Aqua could answer, his arms crossed. “This is our cue to call it a night.”

“Aw, but I was just getting started!” Lea sighed dramatically, but was interrupted as a loud yawn escaped him, leaving him blinking. “But… I suppose I could use a nap. Or two.”

“Sounds good to me,” Sora said, laughing. He waved over at Beast and Belle, catching their attention. “Thanks for the ball, you guys! We’re calling it a night!”

Belle and Beast waved back, saying their goodbyes as the exhausted group trudged out of the ballroom, leaving the soft music behind them as the large doors closed shut. 

Too exhausted to think, it felt like only moments before Aqua found herself back in the common room. Just like before, a low fire was cracking softly in the fireplace, bathing the room in a soft warm glow. She could see her bed through her open door, looking more and more inviting by the second. Soft moonlight filtered in from her window, giving the bedroom an ethereal glow.

“I think I can hear my bed calling me,” Lea yawned, stretching his arms over his head. “See you guys tomorrow.”

Before he could vanish into his room, Aqua caught his arm, stopping him. “Not so fast! Tomorrow, you and I have some training to do; and don’t think you’re getting out of it either, Kairi!” 

“Aw, what?!” Both of them complained at the same time.

“C’mon, Aqua,” Lea pouted. “Aren’t we supposed to be on vacation?”

“We’re _supposed_ to be training, in case you forgot. I haven’t even seen either of your keyblades yet! We start training first thing tomorrow.”

“But-” Kairi protested.

“No buts! I’ll see you two in the morning.”

“Well, you heard the Master. Once she makes up her mind, there’s nothing we can do to change it.” Lea turned, stepping into his bedroom. “Night, everyone!” He called over his shoulder.

As his door began to close, and the others called their goodnights, Aqua, without thinking, reached out to Lea; to stop him, to talk like they had last night, to maybe finish what they’d started on the dance floor.

She opened her mouth to call out to him, but before she could form any words, his door snapped shut with a harsh _click_ , leaving Aqua alone in the common room, with only the sounds of the crackling fire accompanying her.

Her hand still outstretched, Aqua stared at the plain wood of Lea’s door, contemplating knocking. 

Thinking better of it, she lowered her hand with a sigh. _He’s probably already asleep anyway, knowing him._ Resolving to talk to him about that almost-kiss someday, she moved to her room, exhaustion dragging her feet. 

She closed the door behind her, the room darkening as he bright, full moon became the only source of light. When she began to move to the bed, something bright and sparkling, sitting on the vanity and sparkling in the moonlight, caught her eye. Still to dark to make it out, she made her way to the lamp on the nightstand.

It lit at her touch, bathing the bedroom in soft, orange light and illuminating what sat on her vanity. Aqua gasped softly, taking in the tall vase of calla lilies, swaying gently on a nonexistent breeze. Moving toward the vanity, Aqua gently took one of the lilies in her hand and holding it up towards her.

The petals, velvety soft to the touch, where mostly white. But towards the base of the flower, the petals turned a deep blue, almost the color of the sky at night. A blue, satin bow had been carefully tied around the vase. A wide smile spread across Aqua’s face as she clutched the flower, stem and all, close to her heart. 

_Who could’ve left these…. oh!_ Underneath the crystal vase was a neatly folded card. Careful not to tip over the flowers, Aqua slid the card out from under the vase and, still holding onto the calla lily, opened it. 

_Aqua,_ it read. _Thanks for everything last night. Hope you like the flowers. -Lea_

In the corner of the card, Lea had drawn a little face, it’s expression fiendish as it grinned wildly. Aqua’s smile grew even further. Something like that was _so_ like Lea to do. Joy filled her heart, powerful and wonderful, making her heart pound with the force of it. Placing the card back, Aqua spun and twirled her way to the bed, still clutching the lily to her heart. As she danced she found herself humming the song she and Lea had danced too, her heart fluttering.

Lea had gotten her flowers. _Lea had gotten her flowers._ No one had done something like that for her, except for Kairi, long ago in Radiant Garden. The flowers from Lea though… these were somehow different, somehow they meant something that Aqua had never felt before. She’d loved the flowers Kairi had given her, but these made her feel happy in a way she’d never experienced.

With a final twirl, she flopped onto the bed with a content sigh. Maybe it was good she hadn’t knocked on Lea’s door, she wouldn’t have found the flowers if she had. She kicked off her heels and settled into the bed, setting the lily next to her pillow. From her position, she could see the garden below, illuminated by the moon. 

A soft smile on her face, and sleep beginning to claim her, Aqua placed her hand over the stem of the flower as she drifted off. 

Before her eyes closed completely, something flashed in the garden, and Aqua’s eyes snapped open. Bright and yellow, it was gone before Aqua could blink, her eyes still scanning for whatever it had been. A feeling of unease creeped up Aqua’s spine, chilling her. She could’ve sworn those were _eyes_ staring at her across the garden. Something about them had been animalistic, wild and feral, and something about them had been uncomfortably familiar.

She shivered and clutched the lily once again. As if the flower were magic, the feeling of dread building up inside her vanished. Chalking up the eyes as just a trick of her tired mind, she closed her eyes and drifted off into a blissful sleep.

~

Lea yawned, stretching his arms out over his head and arching his back. Lea and Kairi were sitting on a bench in the center of the garden, a large, shimmering fountain in front of them. The morning air was cool and crisp, the heat of the day not having set in yet. Morning dew clung to the leaves of the flowers and shrubbery, glimmering golden in the still-rising sun. Pathways to the left or right of them led deeper into the garden, winding through the rows upon rows of flowers.

All-in-all, the scenery was beautiful. Lea only wished he were awake enough to enjoy it. True to her word, Aqua had awoken both him and Kairi at the crack of dawn, before the sun had even begun to rise, telling them both to hurry into the garden before vanishing, and he hadn’t seen her since.

As though thinking the same thing, Kairi spoke. “Where do you think Aqua is? I didn’t think she’d be the type to be late.”

“It’s a little strange,” he agreed, scanning the garden for any hint of the missing master. He heart did little jumping jacks in his chest at the thought of seeing her again. In truth, his heart hadn’t fully calmed down since their almost kiss. He hadn’t felt so nervous around someone in a long time; the feeling was nice, in a way. It reminded him of happier times.

“You have that look on your face again,” Kairi said, a wide grin on her face.

“What? I do not have _a look_.”

“Yeah you do! You always get this _dreamy_ and lost look on your face everytime you think about Aqua.”

As Kairi spoke, something in the bushes off to Lea’s left moved, catching his eye. The leaves and flowers jostled, and though something, or someone, were forcing themselves through the shrubbery. A chill shot up his fine, just like he’d felt in the hallway the other night; the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, as though someone were breathing down his spine. He stood, rising suddenly from the bench and startling Kairi. 

“Axel?”

He held up a hand, signaling for her to be quiet. In his other hand, his keyblade appeared, its weight still odd in his hand. He supposed he was lucky it even appeared at all. Kairi’s eyes filled with understanding, and she summoned her own keyblade, siding up next to him in a combat-ready stance.

“Something’s here,” he whispered to her. He remembered the night in the library; he’d seen something in the bushes then, too. 

The garden became silent, the only sounds the fountains and leaves rustling as the wind blew through the garden. Lea stepped towards the bushes, keyblade ready, Kairi following close behind. The world seemed to still as Lea and Kairi got closer and closer. They stopped a few feet away, the bushes still trembling as whatever was inside of them moved.

The world seemed to still as Lea gestured for Kairi to wait. She nodded in understanding and he moved up to the bushes, his footsteps silent and soft against the dirt. The bushes stilled as he approached, but continued their movement a few heartbeats later. Whatever it was either hadn’t noticed Lea’s approach, or didn’t care.

Lea steeled himself before, with a sudden burst of movement, thrusted his free hand into the shrubbery and yanked them aside with all his strength. There, in the heart of the shrubbery sat-

“A _squirrel?_ ” Kairi huffed. “You had me all worried about a _squirrel?!_ ”

The squirrel’s tail twitched at the sound of Kairi’s voice. It turned to look at Lea, seeming to almost glare at him before scampering between his feet and into the garden. He let go of the bushes, allowing them to snap back into place as he watched the squirrel disappear into more undergrowth.

“Hey, for your information, squirrels can be vicious!” 

Kairi shook her head, her keyblade vanishing with a flash of light. “You seriously had me all freaked out! Next time make sure it’s not a cute little squirrel before you scare me to death, okay?”

Lea cast a look of the garden, breathing deeply and making his own keyblade vanish. Maybe he had over-reacted, but he could’ve sworn that there’d been something in the garden with them. Something unfriendly. He couldn’t have imagined it.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. “Sure thing, kiddo. Next time I’ll check to see if it’s an _ugly_ squirrel before-”

Before he could finish, a familiar orb of light shot at him from the direction of the fountain, angrily spinning as it hurtled through the air. Acting on almost pure instinct, Lea dodged to the side towards Kairi, who was staring at the orb wide-eyed.

She looked at him, bewildered. “Was that-?”

Lea resummoned his keyblade, once again grateful it appeared. “Less talk, more keyblade, Kairi!”

He scanned the garden, looking for Aqua; that orb _had_ to have been hers. He’d recognize it anywhere. But the question was, _where was she?_

Kairi’s keyblade reappeared in her hand. “Is this Aqua’s idea of “training?!’” She stood with her back to Lea; they’d trained like this for weeks, back-to-back, so much so that it almost felt natural now.

The thought of training brought flashbacks of Merlin. Lea vividly remembered the old man’s almost childlike grin as he used to magic to fling furniture at Lea and Kairi. He _definitely_ remembered getting hit by flying tables more than once. It seemed that Aqua and Merlin had similar ideas when it came to teaching their pupils.

He shook the memories from his head, refocusing. As if sensing that he was distracted, Aqua, from wherever she was hiding, launched another orb at the pair, this time from the right side. Lea pivoted, swinging his keyblade up and using the momentum from his movement to slam the blade into the orb full force, sending it ricocheting upwards. It shot towards the garden wall, sailing clear over it and disappearing.

Lea snapped his head back towards the garden. Aqua had undoubtedly changed positions again, but where? He looked to Kairi, who was scanning the other side of the garden with a furrowed brow. Lea breathed deeply, turning back to his side of the garden. He forced himself to calm down, to focus, and to logic out where Aqua was.

She had to be somewhere she could see both himself and Kairi, that much he knew for certain. Ruling out the shrubs along the wall, the same shrubs he’d found the squirrel in, he instead turned his focus towards the heart of the garden, where the fountain still churned out water. He scanned the leaves and rows of flowers, looking for any sign of the Master.

Two more orbs appeared, this time to the left. They spun violently, speeding up before launching themselves at Lea and Kairi. Kairi stepped forward, nodding to Lea with a confident smile on her face. Ice frosted its way up the entire length of Kairi’s keyblade, making it glisten in the morning sunrise. With a downward slash of her blade, the ice flew towards the approaching orbs, growing in size as it reached them before finally colliding in an explosion of ice and light.

Lea, confident Kairi could handle whatever Aqua threw at them, kept searching, scanning the bushes until- there. As more and more orbs materialized, surrounding the two of them, Lea saw it. Flashes and glimpses of light, weaving and darting their way throughout the bushes that sat in the heart of the garden. He turned to Kairi. “Think you can handle a couple of orbs?”

She grinned at him, lighting crackling up and down her keyblade. “Of course! Who do you take me for?”

Lea grinned back at her, leaving her to her own devices as he ripped open a Corridor directly in front of him. Before leaping through it, he gave Kairi, a look, gesturing with his eyes to Aqua’s location, and her eyes lit up in understanding.

Not giving Aqua time to react to the Corridor that had undoubtedly appeared near her, he launched himself through it, darkness embracing him once again. It wasn’t long before he found himself on the other side of the bushes, where he’d guessed the Master to be. Sure enough, he came to face-to-face with a surprised Aqua, her eyes wide as Lea lunged for her, slashing with his keyblade.

She recovered from her shock just in time, bringing up her own keyblade to block his. Their blades locked, Aqua smiled. “So _that’s_ what your keyblade looks like. I was beginning to think I’d never see it.”

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” he grinned back, exuding force on their crossed keyblades, forcing Aqua’s down. On the other side of the hedges, a bright flash of light told Lea that Kairi had let her thunder loose, hopefully taking care of Aqua’s orbs.

Aqua pressed back, lifting their keyblade’s enough that she was able to push off Lea’s keyblade and spring backwards a few steps. “You surprised me.” She readied her keyblade at her side, returning to her battle-ready stance. “But it seems you’ve left Kairi behind.”

“Did I?” Lea opened another Corridor, directly behind Aqua, its entry point where he’d last seen Kairi. Aqua’s eyes widened as she whirled to face the Corridor, only a moment too late. 

He and Kairi had spent weeks practicing this maneuver, until it’d become natural for Kairi to jump into Lea’s Corridors and catch whatever was on the other side by surprise, be it floating furniture or a Keyblade Master.

Just as they’d practiced, Kairi sprung out of the Corridor, keyblade already swathed in flames as she hurtled towards Aqua. To Aqua’s credit, she raised her own keyblade up in time to block Kairi’s strike, a tight barrier of reflective magic springing up around her, but she was still unprepared for Lea to come in from behind, fire and keyblade slamming into the barrier.

His flames slammed into Aqua’s barrier, wrapping around it. Aqua grit her teeth, the barrier cracking under Lea and Kairi’s combined assault, but it still held firm. Aqua glanced at Lea before widening her stance, like she was prepared to spring. The barrier, still bathed in flames, suddenly reshaped itself, staggering both Lea and Kairi as they lost balance. The fire that licked at the barrier’s sides seemed to be _absorbed_ into the barrier itself as it it changed from a dome shape into a ring around Aqua. It took Lea a moment to realize what Aqua had done; his own fire had been turned against him. 

The barrier spun rapidly around her, sending sparks of flame scattering in the wind. Aqua braced a foot against the ground, facing Kairi, as though she were prepared to spring.

Lea saw what Aqua was going to do a moment before it happened. “Kairi!” He called out. She started, bringing her keyblade up to block, but she was still off-balance, she wouldn’t make it in time. Lea sprung into action, pushing off the ground, maneuvering around Aqua’s flaming barrier until he was side by side with Kairi, bracing his keyblade with his own.

Aqua lunged for them, that ring of fire moving with her. It collided with Lea and Kairi’s keyblades, the force of it pushing the two back and scraping lines in the dirt. Heat blasted them, making Lea sweat not only from exertion, but from the flames licking at his hands. He could see Aqua in the midst of the fire, attempting to push against their combined guard.

Kairi grunted with the effort of holding the flaming barrier back, and Lea could feel himself straining. As Kairi lost more ground, Lea took a single step back, moving behind her so she was braced against his body, their keyblades still holding the barrier back.

“Kairi,” he breathed, catching her attention. She looked up to him, her eyes hard with focus. “Together.”

Nodding in understanding, she moved her left hand from the hilt of her blade, bracing it against her right wrist instead. Her keyblade wavered in response, and Lea moved a hand up to the blade of his, bracing it against Aqua’s assault. Flames, burning a softer orange than the ones the barrier had stolen from Lea, swept up the length of Kairi’s keyblade. Lea’s keyblade followed suit, becoming engulfed in flames from hilt to the tip of the blade. The flames raced over his hands, but didn’t burn him; they never had.

Their keyblades wrapped in twin fire, Lea pulled free the hand pushing against his blade. Lea and Kairi’s keyblades buckled at the loss of support, allowing Aqua’s barrier to inch forward and pushing the two even further back. Before they could be completely overwhelmed, Lea brought his fingers together and snapped, the sound echoing throughout the garden.

In response, the flames along Kairi and Lea’s keyblades erupted, expanding into a fiery eruption that completely swallowed Aqua’s barrier. It took all of Lea’s concentration to direct the flames away from Kairi and himself, and to force them into the burning ring. He could feel Kairi guiding her magic along with him, helping him guide and shape it.

This too, they had practiced, shaping their combined spells together; though they’d never attempted it while they were this close to the magic before.

Lea’s could feel Aqua’s barrier under his flames, as though he were touching it with his hands. He felt it surge and recoil against the force of the combined inferno. Aqua, as if giving one last attempt to break through the heated attack, expanded the barrier. The fire sparked against her magic, and Aqua pushed one last time. 

With a loud _boom!_ Lea and Kairi were forced apart as the barrier exploded outward. They were flung backward, Lea landing hard on the dirt, Kairi landing nearly on top of him. A fallout of dust and dying embers showered the two of them, forcing Lea to squint and wipe his eyes as he sat up, groaning in pain.

Next to him, Kairi was doing the same, coughing as she stood on shaky feet. Across the way, Aqua sat, blinking in surprise as the dust and embers finally settled. Despite her bewildered expression, there was a smile across her face.

“I think,” she said, coughing into her sleeve. “We can call this a draw.”

~

Despite the explosions and fire, Belle’s garden had escaped relatively unscathed, only a few singed flowers and displaced dirt evidence of their skirmish. After congratulating Lea and Kairi on holding off her surprise attack, she’d run the two of them through several exercises, of both the magical and keyblade variety, despite the protests of their sore bodies.

By the time Aqua had deemed their practice through, the sun was beginning its descent into the horizon. All three of them were drenched in sweat and dirt, but Lea and Kairi were both smiling. Despite their complaints, Aqua had a sneaking suspicion that the two of them enjoyed this training, enjoyed working together. She watched the two of them laugh, a wide smile on Kairi’s dirt-streaked face as she high-fived Lea, who was smiling back equally as wide.

She smiled as they talked. Lea’s smile was bright and happy, a stark contrast from his expression the other night, when he’d talked about Roxas. Since the dance, he’d seemed lighter, more willing to smile. And Aqua wasn’t complaining one bit.

Kairi said something to Axel. He nodded in response before she darted off. He watched her for a moment before walking over to where Aqua sat on one of the garden benches. He plopped down next to her with a heavy sigh. “So Master, how’d we do?”

“Better than I thought you would. I certainly didn’t expect you to be able to hold me off for as long as you did.” She’d underestimated the two of them, a mistake she’d have to be careful not to repeat. While Lea was inexperienced with his Keyblade, he had a decade of combat experience and training. He’d picked up on the techniques Aqua had taught quickly, something that had pleased her more than she’d cared to admit.

“Glad I could surprise you,” he said with a wink. He leaned back, resting his weight on his palms. His face was angled toward the sun, turning his eyes an almost golden color as he basked in the evening light. It took effort to force herself to stop watching how the light accented the angles of his face, the way way he seemed to glow in the light. 

She couldn’t help but think of their dance. Of their almost-kiss. They’d been so close, and yet so far. Even now, they were so close, their hands almost touching; but they might as well have been miles away.

“Where did Kairi run off too?” She hid her awkwardness with a small cough, covering her mouth with her sleeve.

“Hm? Oh, she went to get water I think. Or escape your training. One of the two.”

“My training isn’t that bad!” Sure, she’d pushed the two of them today, but it wasn’t so bad that Kairi would’ve run… right?

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” He laughed, and Aqua couldn’t help but laugh with him.

Aqua turned her face toward the sun, watching it. “Thank you,” she said. “For the lillies. They’re beautiful.” _They made me the happiest I’ve been in a while,_ is what she didn’t have the courage to say.

“Oh, those,” Lea scratched at the back of his head, turning away from her as though he were embarrassed. “Kairi helped. Pick the flowers, I mean! It was my idea after all, but I’m not the best with all the… flower stuff.”

His sentence died, and Aqua found herself giggling. “Well, I’ll remember to thank her, too.”

Silence stretched between them. It wasn’t an awkward silence, rather, it was a comfortable, welcoming quiet. The kind of quiet that could only be shared between two friends. They watched the sun lazily make it’s descent toward the horizon, and as it sunk lower and lower, Aqua began gathering the courage to reach over and place her hand on his.

She lifted her hand up off the bench, inching it closer to his. “Hey, Aqua,” he suddenly said, shattering the silence. Startled, Aqua withdrew her hand. “Thanks for this. For the training. And everything else.”

The mood shifted, turning somber. “We all need a bit of training. For what’s to come.” For saving Ventus, for fighting Xehanort. For the ensuing battles.

Lea cast his gaze downward. “Do you think we’ll be ready?”

“I don’t know.” Her voice was unbearably soft, unsure. But it was the truth. She thought she’d been ready ten years ago. She’d thought she could handle anything, but she’d wound up lost for a decade, unaging while the world had slowly become swallowed in darkness.

As if knowing what she was thinking, Lea reached over and clasped his hand over hers. “It’ll be different this time,” he whispered. She looked up and his eyes, focused and determined, meeting hers. “We’re all together, we can’t be torn apart. It won’t be like last time. Got it memorized?”

Aqua gaped at him. “Lea…”

“We _can_ change things. At least, that’s what I tell myself. We’re not alone, Aqua. That’s what you told me. And it’s true. We can all rely on each other, we don’t have to fight alone ever again.” His eyes were shining, gleaming with the hint of tears that threatened to spill.

Aqua smiled at him, her vision blurring with her own tears. She’d been alone for most of her time in the Realm of Darkness. Hearing Lea say she wouldn't have to fight on her own anymore… it warmed her heart. “You’re oddly sweet, you know that?”

His cheeks blushed furiously, and he couldn’t quite meet her eyes. “Ah, here, I have an idea. To lighten the mood, ya know?”

He stood up, still holding onto Aqua’s hands. She rose with him, her sore muscles barking in protest as she got to her feet. Lea let go of her hands and stepped into the clear area of the garden, gesturing her to follow. A flash of flames and darkness appeared near both his hands, and his chakrams materialized as Aqua stepped up next to him. “You taught me things today, so let me teach you something. You wanna learn how throw one of these?” He held up one of his chakram, waggling it.

Aqua’s eyes widened. “Really?” 

“Really. It’s not so hard, you’ll see.” He handed the chakram out expectantly. She took it cautiously, as though it were about to explode, careful to avoid the pointed spikes that lined the rim. When it didn’t erupt violently into flames, she gripped it more firmly, its weight foregin in her hand. It was much lighter than she’d expected, yet its weight was distributed in a way she hadn’t felt before.

Lea stepped behind her, gently taking her wrist in his hand and leaning over her, his head now near her right ear, her back pressed into his chest. They were close, so close once again. Like in the foyer, she could turn her head and they’re be kissing. 

“Here,” he said, guiding her hand. “Hold it like this. Like you’re going to skip a stone across a lake.” Her heart pounded in her chest, so loud she was sure Lea could hear it. He didn’t say anything as he helped her hold the chakram. She could feel his own heartbeat against her back, she could’ve sworn she felt it flutter as their hands brushed.

He drew her hand back, into a throwing position. “Just think of it like a skipping stone. Or,” he said with a grin. “A frisbee.”

“How do I get it to come back?”

“It’ll come back, you just have to believe in it.”

“Believe in… a chakram?”

He smiled. “You believe in your keyblade don’t you? This is the same thing. It _will_ come back. Now, throw it.” He let go of her wrist, but the weight of his touch lingered on her skin.

She exhaled. She’d thrown Rainfell hundreds of times, it came back almost every time she’d done so. How different could this be? From the throwing position Lea had left her arm in, Aqua hurled it as hard as she could. _Please, come back_ she begged it. The chakram left her hand spinning, arcing through the air with deadly precision. 

It spun, end over end, hurtling through the air. It hadn’t ignited as it did when Lea threw them, but still, Aqua felt an odd sense of pride as she watched it slicing through the sky. Her pride swelled into pure awe as, true to Lea’s word, the chakram spun and arced, heading straight back for Lea and Aqua.

However, her awe soon turned to horror as she realized that, while Lea had covered throwing and returning the chakram, he hadn’t quite taught her how to _catch_ it.

“Uh, Lea?” The chakram neared them, rapidly closing the distance with its deadly spin, growing closer and closer each heartbeat.

“What? You did great-” he was interrupted as the chakram finally closed the distance, slamming a flat edge straight into Lea’s forehead with a nasty sounding _THUNK!_ Lea collapsed, his weight suddenly leaving Aqua as he fell straight onto his back, the traitorous chakram laying discarded next to him.

“Lea!” Aqua scrambled to his side, kneeling next to him. His eyes were screwed tightly shut, a bruise already forming on his forehead. At least he hadn’t been knocked out. “Are you alright?!”

He groaned, blinking his eyes open. “Was that revenge for the frisbee?” The bruise on his forehead began turning an ugly black and blue, the spot swelling angrily.

“You didn’t hit me nearly this hard,” she huffed, her voice tinged with concern. “I’ll heal you, don’t worry.”

Lea’s eyes fluttered shut. “My hero,” he murmured. Concerned, Aqua gently cupped his face in her hands. “ _Cura,_ ” she breathed, pouring healing magic into Lea. The bruise ebbed away, taking the swelling with it, and Lea’s pained expression eased.

When Lea’s face was once again unmarred, Aqua ended the spell, her magic drained from the effort. Lea cracked his eyes open again. “Hit by my own chakram. What a cruel twist of fate.”

“In my defense,” Aqua said. “You didn’t tell me how to catch it.” 

“I didn’t think I needed to teach you how to catch a frisbee!” Lea laughed, and Aqua realized her hands were still cupping his face. Her cheeks heating, she pulled her hands away, instead helping Lea to his feet.

“It’s a _spikey_ frisbee,” she huffed, hauling Lea up until he was standing. Somewhere behind her, leaves rustled. A cool wind blew through the garden as the sun finally touched the horizon. Lea bent down, scooping up his discarded chakram.

“Thanks for the heal,” he said with a laugh. “Does this make us even?”

But Aqua’s attention wasn’t on Lea. It was on the bushes and rows of flowers all around them, trembling on the cold wind. Chills shot up her spine as she remembered the glowing set of eyes she’d seen last night. “Lea, there’s something in the bushes. _All_ the bushes.”

The shrubbery quivered and quaked, moving far too unnaturally for it to be the wind. Something within them was moving, too rapidly for her eyes to catch.

“I thought that too,” Lea scoffed. “It was just a squirrel. I’m sure it’s just… the wind…”

His voice died as the chill in the air became almost biting cold. His eyes widened as he took in something behind Aqua. She turned, staring in shock at what approached. Emerging from the bushes was something she’d never seen before. It’s body, completely silvery-white, was humanoid. But it moved in a way that Aqua could only describe as unnatural, as though its joints had been broken long ago, leaving not a solid bone in its body. Its center pulsed with an eerie beat.

It slinked towards them, and Aqua could’ve sworn it _smiled_. “ _Axel… We have found you!_ ” A phantom voice, coming from seemingly every direction, whispered on the wind. Lea’s face blanched, all humor and joy replaced with horror as more and more of the creatures emerged, surrounding the two from all sides. 

Alongside these, another variety appeared. Larger and much more bulky, these carried large, blunt swords the length of their bodies. These one’s movements were much more jerkier, but still had that unnatural, disjointed feel that sent Aqua’ skin crawling.

When had they surrounded them? How had neither of them noticed? As she took in the growing number of them, at least two dozen, a named popped into her mind. _Dusk._ Lea had told her about them that night in the cottage. How the threat of being turned into one had loomed over him. Somehow, she hadn’t quite imagined them to be this horrifying. This disturbing.

“ _We have found you!_ ” They chorused, pressing closer to Lea and Aqua.

Aqua turned to Lea, his eyes still wide and full of fear. “Lea,” she called. He didn’t respond, as though he were a world away. “Lea!” Still, nothing. 

Fear and worry gripped Aqua’s heart as she summoned her keyblade. Just moments ago, they’d been happy, just moments ago, Aqua had been holding Lea’s face in her hands. Now they were surrounded by enemies Aqua had never fought before. 

“Lea, snap out of it!” She tried again, backing up into a defensive position near Lea. There was no way she could protect them against all the Nobodies; they were too surrounded, too vulnerable, her magic too depleted. 

She could only watch as the Nobodies advanced, Lea trembling beside her.

“ _We have found you!_ ”


	15. Links of the Heart

Kairi hummed to herself, long strides carrying her down the hall. She held an ice-cold pitcher in her hands, kept cold with light ice magic. She’d told Axel she went to get more water for them, and while that had been true, she’d also wanted to give him and Aqua a few moments alone. She remembered his distant, dreamy expression, how every time he thought Aqua wasn’t looking, he’d steal glances at her, quickly looking away before she could notice. _Honestly,_ she thought to herself. _Axel is_ hopeless. _What would he do without me?_

Her steps carried her down the halls, past the library door. From within, soft, unintelligible conversation caught her ear. Head cocked to the side, she smiled as she recognized Sora and Riku’s voices. Careful not to spill the pitcher, she shouldered open the heavy door, entering the library. Light from the setting sun filtered in through the window, casting the room in a warm, soft glow. Sora and Riku sat at one of the tables scattered throughout the room, talking quietly amongst themselves.

At the sound of the door opening, Sora and Riku turned. Sora smiled, widely and openly, and Kairi’s heart fluttered in response. He rose to greet her, almost tripping over the table legs in his haste to make it to her. She couldn’t help but giggle as he walked to her, his cheeks flushing pink as he smiled sheepishly.

“Real smooth there, Sora! It’s a wonder you managed to get so far, with coordination like that.” Riku called from where he sat, a sly grin on his face. Kairi laughed, and Riku gave her a small wave.

“Can it, Riku!” Sora said, cutting a look back to Riku before turning shyly back to Kairi. “Heya, Kairi.”

“Heya, Sora.” She smiled back at him, her heart warming with joy and unabashed love. They’d been friends for years, but somehow, after he’d told her how he’d felt, the bond between them had changed. It’d become something beautiful, something full of love. 

“Here, let me get that for you.” He gently took the pitcher from her hands, his fingers brushing against hers.As he took it from her, the two shared a small, secret smile, the one they reserved only for each other. “When do you have to go back?”

Kairi thought for a moment. She could spare a bit to spend time with Sora and Riku, it’d give her aching muscles a break for a small bit. It’d also give Axel and Aqua more time to talk, something the two definitely needed after the dance last night. “I can stay for a little bit,” she smiled. “They won’t need me for a while.”

~

Lea’s hand shook, despite his best attempts to keep them under control. The moment the Nobodies appeared, the moment they’d spoken, terror struck Lea to his very core. Their voices, cold, and familiar, struck a chord in him. The voice he’d heard in the hallway the first night here, the one he’d thought belonged to Roxas, hadn’t been his lost friend at all. It’d been the Dusks, stalking and slinking through the shadows. How long had they been following him, how’d they even know he’d been here? Had it been happenstance, or had they known this whole time?

The sight of the Berserkers is what hurt Lea the most. Saïx had found him. _Isa_ had found him. And sent the horde of Nobodies after him. What did Saïx, what did the _Organization_ , even want with him? He wasn’t a Seeker of Darkness anymore. He _wasn’t._

His mind was a whirlwind of thought and emotions, raging and uncontrolled. He distantly heard Aqua calling for him, begging for him to snap out of it. She might as well have been worlds away. He felt her shaking him, leaving his side only to bat away Nobodies that got too close. 

The last time he’d been surrounded by Nobodies, he hadn’t made it out. He still remembered what it’d felt like to pour everything into that final burst of magic. He remembered what it’d felt like to fade away into nothing. He’d been given a second chance then; he’d woken up. But now there would be no retries, no do overs. He was whole again; if he faded away, this would be the end.

A voice, crying out in pain, snapped him out of his own panic. Next to him, Aqua had been knocked to the floor. Her keyblade was on the dirt, underneath the hand she was using to prop herself up. Her other hand was clutching her side, her face twisted in a grimace of pain. Above her stood one of the Berserkers, a dull claymore clutched in its hand.

It raised its weapon, ready to strike the downed Master, and the panic in Lea’s heart shifted. His hands trembled, not from fear, but from the unfettered rage that now ruled him. If Aqua was in danger, it didn’t matter if he faded away again. None of it mattered if Aqua had been hurt. He’d escaped Organization XIII. He’d found people who cared about him; who were happy to call themselves his friend. 

And he’d be damned if he let the Organization take it all away.

Spurred by his anger, his fear abandoned, he held out a hand, trying to summon his keyblade to his side once again. This time, it wasn’t the key that answered his call. Rather, his twin chakrams are what materialized into his hands, their weight all too familiar. Part of him was surprised, but another was comforted by the familiarity of the weapons. 

With a fierce yell, he hurled both chakrams towards the Berserker looming over Aqua, the weapons coating themselves in brilliant fire the moment they left his hands. They slammed into the Nobody, slicing into it before it disappeared in a flash of empty light. The chakrams spun, arcing through the air and back into Lea’s hands, their fire extinguished.

Aqua turned to look at him, her eyes wide. He was at the end of his magic; he’d burned too much today, and to say he was running on fumes was generous at best. If he pushed, he could force the fire to form, but doing so would come with a cost. Already a headache was forming behind his eyes, his head aching as though someone was pounding on the inside of his skull from within. 

He pushed through the pain, igniting the chakrams once again, his flames feeding on his anger. He didn’t care if it hurt, if it damaged him, he’d do it if it meant keeping Aqua and the others safe. As the Keyblade Master staggered to her feet, he threw them both, sending them spiraling for two Dusks closing in on Aqua.

The Dusks evaporated as the chakrams hit them, leaving nothing behind. The weapons circled once more before seeking out new prey, trailing fire as they spun through the air. Aqua had managed to get to her feet, returning to a battle stance. Her eyes were grim, her expression dark as the Nobodies Lea had taken out were replaced by even more of the creatures.

Wordlessly, the two of them moved so they were standing back-to-back. He could feel Aqua trembling behind him, though if it was from exhaustion or fear, he couldn’t tell. His chakrams lapped around, dive-bombing a few more Dusks before their fires extinguished once again. Pain lanced through Lea’s head as they returned to him once again; it took all his focus to hold on to them, to keep them from dropping to the floor. “What do they want?” Aqua breathed behind him, her voice filled with quiet horror.

Lea shut his eyes, desperately trying to get his ragged breathing under control. The threat of Lea’s chakrams gone for the moment, the Nobodies pressed forward, tightening the circle around them. “I don’t know,” he answered, his voice hoarse.

There was one thing he could do to keep the Nobodies away, to keep Aqua safe. The two of them were totally alone; it didn’t look like Kairi was coming back anytime soon. The likelihood of help reaching them in time were slim to none. But he could do this. For Aqua, Sora, Riku, and Kairi, he could sacrifice himself again.

“Aqua, I’m sorry.” He’d promised her nothing would tear anything apart, but here was, already about to break his promise. Pushing through the growing pain in his head and body, his chakrams ignited once again, buring a steady orange.

“What’re you-...?” Her eyes widened as she she realized what he was going to do. “Lea, you _can’t._ ”

But his mind was already made up. One of them making it out was better than getting taken by the Organization, or worse.

_Sorry, Roxas_ The fire crawled up his hands and forearms, enveloping them in flames. _Looks like I won’t be there to bring you back after all._

~

It was warm, and like most days, the only sounds were the waves lapping gently against the shore. The sun, in the midst of sunset, hung halfway below the ocean, the other half casting warm light over the beach.

Sometimes, others joined him. Sometimes it was by another boy, one who looked exactly him. Other times a girl joined him, her hair the color of raven’s down and her smile bright. But his favorite was the soft-spoken, yet strong-willed, blonde. She’d been coming by more and more often, but she wasn’t like the others, she wasn’t here permanently like they were. 

Today was one of the days it was just the two of them. They were sitting on the paopu tree, watching the waves and enjoying the blissful silence between them.

_Roxas,_ a painfully familiar voice whispered. 

Roxas’s heart clenched. He strained his hearing, desperately trying to hear Axel’s voice again. But there was nothing. He turned to Naminé, his brow wrinkled. “Did… did you hear something?”

She looked at him, her head tilted in confusion. “The only thing I can hear is the ocean. Is everything alright, Roxas?”

“I just… I thought I heard-”

_Looks like I won’t be there to bring you back after all._

Naminé reached out, placing her hand on Roxas’s shoulder. “Roxas?”

Roxas’s heart raced in his chest, so loud he could hear it in his ears. “It’s… It’s Axel. He needs help.” He didn’t know why now, of all times,he could hear his friend, but he had to do something, _anything._

He hadn’t tried to break out of Sora’s heart, not since their fight. He hadn’t even truly tried to _contact_ Sora; he didn’t even know if it was possible. But there had to be something he could do, _something_ to help his best friend-

~

Sora traced small circles into the back of Kairi’s hand as the trio talked, humming softly to himself as Kairi recounted training with Aqua and Lea. She was covered in dirt, scrapes, and bruises, but her eyes were gleaming, bright and joyful. He loved listening to her talk; the way her words were always happy and positive comforted his heart, even in the hardest of times. Her strength, her optimism, was just as important to him as Riku’s strength was.

With her free hand, she tucked stands of loose hair behind her ear, still telling her story. “So, then, Axel opened up a Corridor and -” 

Her words faded, as though Sora were suddenly a million worlds away. An ache formed in his chest, as though someone were gripping his heart in a fist. He’d felt this before. It’d always felt this way when… when _Roxas_ was trying to reach out to him. It’d felt like this before they’d fought, it’d felt like this when Roxas had spoken to him in the dreaming worlds. 

Unlike before, however, sorrow and fear accompanied the gripping sensation, threatening to overwhelm him. The dull ache became a sharp, stabbing pain, like someone had dug their nails into his chest. 

Sora rose to his feet, placing a hand to his heart. “What are you trying to tell me?” He whispered.

Kairi squeezed his other hand. “Sora? Are you alright?” Both her and Riku were looking at him, concern filling their eyes.

“I’m-” It was then the wayfinder in his pocket, the one Lea had given him, the one he’d made sure to keep close since he’d gotten it, began to heat up, becoming so hot it almost burned. He pulled it out, holding it up and staring into the deep red glass.

The wayfinder shimmered and glowed, and he could’ve sworn it was _trembling._ Beside him, as though their wayfinders were acting the same way, RIku and Kairi pulled out theirs, their eyes widening. 

Riku held his up to the light. “What’s going on?”

_Save Axel._ A familiar voice rang through Sora’s head. _Please._

Sora looked to his friends, but neither of them gave any indication of having heard Roxas. But the weight of Roxas’s words suddenly sunk in… along with fear at what they implied. Was Lea in danger? He had to communicate with Roxas. Even if he wasn’t sure it would work, he had to try. _Save Axel? Roxas, what’s going on?_

_Please,_ Roxas’s voice begged, quieter than it was before. _Please save him, Sora. Please!_

As Roxas’s voice faded from his mind, Sora’s gaze was drawn away from his wayfinder and down into the garden. It was hard to see in the fading light, but now that he was standing, it was impossible to miss.

There, Lea and Aqua we completely surround by the silvery, slinking bodies of Nobodies. It was hard to make out exactly what was happening from up in the library, but he knew his friends needed his help. “Riku, Kairi, we have to get to the garden, _now._ Lea and and Aqua need us!”

Kairi’s eyes widened in horror, her wayfinder clutched to her chest “W-what? Well, what’re we standing here for? Let’s go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope you guys like this chapter! I was little nervous about it with all the switching POVs, but I hope it's good and you guys enjoyed it >o<
> 
> Tysm for reading and commenting!!
> 
> -TheBlackSouledFox


	16. To Ashes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> asdfgh I'm so so sorry for this super late update!! So much real life got in the way, PLUS we accidentally strayed off the outline and wrote this whole chapter incorrectly, making us re-write a lot of it lmaoooo
> 
> In other news, I have a new job and I'm very excited about it!
> 
> Also, would you guys be interested in seeing the botched alternate version of this chapter? Please let us know, we'll post it if you guys want (but please note it won't be canon to the storyline!) :D
> 
> As always, thank you all so much for being patient and reading! Enjoy!

Aqua watched Lea’s fire, burning lower than she’d ever seen it, race down his arms and hands until it encircled his chakrams. His eyes blazed, his pupils burning with fire so intense his pupils appeared almost golden. In response, the Nobodies surrounding them shrinked away in fear, as though they knew what Lea’s fire was capable of.

It was a different kind of horror that filled Aqua’s heart.

Her heart roaring in her ears, her hands trembling, she grabbed at the front of Lea’s jacket with her free hand, grasping onto the fabric so tightly it bunched and wrinkled. “Lea… Lea, you _can’t!_ ” She was aware of how desperate she sounded, how scared.

He looked at her, his eyes full of sorrow. And icy acceptance. “Help isn’t coming.” His voice was cold, so far from the warmth of his usual tone. “We’re out of magic, and Kairi isn’t back yet. This is the only way.”

The Nobodies surrounding them, continued to sway in their eerie, unnatural manner. Though they didn’t have eyes, Aqua could feel the weight of their gaze on them. Still wary of Lea’s flames, they didn’t approach, but the fear wouldn’t last long. “No! There’s another way. There has to be a better option than.... Than _killing yourself!_ ”

Lea’s eyes narrowed, his expression almost turning angry. “Well do you have any better ideas?! It’s both of us or one of us, and I’m picking _you!_ You’re a keyblade Master, you’re _invaluable._ I’m just… I’m just a nobody with a keyblade.”

The Nobodies, sensing their hesitation, seized the opportunity to close in again, pressing forward and tightening the circle around them. Aqua looked from them to the fires blazing around Lea’s charkrams. “I _do_ have a better idea. I have some magic left. Together, _together,_ we make one final barrier, pour all of our magic into it, and hope that we hold out.”

“But-”

“ _No._ There’s no time to argue, and I’m _not_ letting you sacrifice yourself again! If we’re taken, so be it, but I won’t just let you _die!_ ” 

Lea gazed out to the encroaching Nobodies. He shut his eyes, sighing as his flames died. “I’m not going to go out in another blaze, don’t you worry Aqua.” His eyes opened, the embers in his eyes gone. “Not that I have the magic to do it anyway. But there’s something else I can do.”

Her heart stopped in her chest. She could only blink at him. “W-what?”

He didn’t give her an answer, just a sad look of longing that she couldn’t quite read. He reached out to her, giving her hand a final squeeze before turning towards one of the massive Nobodies lumbering toward them.

They stared each other down, none of the other Nobodies daring to step closer. Aqua screamed at herself to move, to pull Lea back to her and form the barrier anyway, but her body wouldn’t listen. Icy fear ran through her veins, combined with her exhaustion, stopping her from moving, from breathing. 

She could only watch as the massive Nobody held out a gray hand, and Lea held out his to meet it.

~  
Kairi raced down the hall, her boots thudding against the floor. Her muscles screamed in protest, barking in pain with every footfall. At one point, she stumbled, forcing Sora to stop and help her regain her balance before continuing their mad dash. 

Every every heartbeat, with every footfall, Kairi’s own voice rang in her head. _This is your fault. This is your fault. This is your fault._ It felt impossible not to blame herself. She’d delayed her return. She’d spent time with Sora and Riku instead. If she’d hadn’t… she would’ve been there to help. She could’ve gotten help. 

Instead, she was running through the halls, down and down and down to the ground floor, hoping beyond hope that she’d still have friends to save when they made it to the garden.

~

Lea’s vision was swimming, his head pounding and pulsing. The sound of Aqua begging him to reconsider, to go down fighting instead of giving his life, rang in his ears. He had so little magic left; it certainly wouldn’t be enough to enact his original plan. 

And now this was his only option.

It had been foolish to pretend that the Nobodies weren’t here for him, that it had been a coincidence. It was foolish to not voice his concerns to the others, to not prepare them for the worst. 

It had been foolish to think he’d ever be free of them.

He didn’t know what they’d do to him, where they’d even take him. But if it would save Aqua and the others, he’d gladly give himself to them.

“It’s me you want, isn’t it?” He locked eyes with the Berserker; or at least, he stared down where its eyes were _supposed_ to be, his hand hovering inches above its own. “I go with you, and you leave. Every last one of you will _leave._ ” He dragged his gaze across the crowd of Nobodies. “And you’ll leave the rest of them alone, you understand?”

He could hear Aqua take in a sharp breath from behind him. “Lea, _don’t._ ”

It hurt his heart, but he ignored her. “ _Do you understand?_ ”

The Berserker stared at him with its eyeless face. Silence stretched, but eventually it gave a small, almost imperceptible nod of its head. With that nod, Lea resigned his fate. He forced himself to ignore Aqua behind him, how it’d felt to hold her hands in his, to dance with her, how it’d felt to pick the flowers for her with Kairi. He forced himself to forget the feeling of Aqua’s hands on his face, the way his heart had leapt as she wiped away his tears. 

His trembling hand lowered, inching towards the Nobody’s. The moment they touched, he knew, he’d be whisked away to who knew where. “ _LEA!_ ” Aqua shouted. 

Shutting out her voice, her desperation, her rage, he reached for the Berserker.

~

Seeing Lea reach for the Nobody, hearing him force the Nobodies to leave her and the others alone, had been the last straw. She refused, _refused_ to sit back and watch as he sacrificed himself. 

Before his hand could grasp the Nobody’s, before he could disappear forever, Aqua forced herself to move, to act. “ _LEA!_ ” She shouted, launching herself forward, keyblade in hand, forcing her aching muscles to cooperate through sheer force of will.

For a moment, she was moving so fast, it was like she was flying, the ground rushing beneath her as she lunged for Lea. In one fluid leap, she closed the distance between them and collided with him, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist. 

Her feet landed. She dug them into the ground and pushed backward, dragging herself and Lea, now wrapped tightly in her grasp, backward. Her momentum carried them back towards the center of the crowd, but her exhaustion, combined with Lea’s weight, threw her off balance. The two of them fell over onto their sides, crashing roughly into the ground, Lea still wrapped tightly in her arms, Rainfell still clutched firmly in her grasp.

Were the circumstances different, Aqua would’ve found the position flustering. _We’re spooning,_ she thought to herself. She almost laughed. Almost.

Lea turned his head to try and look at her, his eyes wild. “Aqua, what are doing?!”

She ignored him, instead freeing the hand clutching Rainfell and pointing it at the sky. The Nobodies, as if angered by the loss of their prize, lunged in at once, descending upon the two of them like a swarm of locusts.

As they neared, Aqua sent out the last of her magic, a final, desperate plea to save both herself and Lea. An opaque barrier, glimmering in the dying sunlight, sprung up around them. The Nobodies closest to them slammed into it, bouncing back off of it and into the swarm in an almost comical fashion. 

The Nobodies, temporarily startled, stopped their assault for only a heartbeat before continuing to throw themselves at the barrier. Each blow was like a physical hit to Aqua, her stomach tightening and recoiling with each hit, but somehow, by some miracle, it remained up.

With the arm still pinned under Lea, she tightened her grip on him. “Help me,” she panted, her voice strained. “I can’t do this alone.”

His eyes were wide as he stared at her. “But-”

“ _No._ I already told you you’re _not_ sacrificing yourself! So _be quiet and help me!_ ”

He blinked at her slowly, his eyes filled with a mix of awe and… fear? But he obliged. The last embers of his magic flowed through Aqua, and in turn, into her reflective barrier. Fire swirled around the shield, scorching any Nobodies that got too close.

Lea’s hand suddenly went to hers, the one gripping him tightly. He held onto her like a drowning victim did a life preserver. Surprised for a moment, she could only blink before squeezing his hand back. She had no idea how long the dregs of their magic would last. But they would hold on for as long as they could. “Together,” she said.

Lea exhaled slowly. His chakrams faded in a flash, taking their fire with them. He slid his now empty hand upward, until he was holding Aqua’s in his. He squeezed it gently. “Together.”

~

The Nobodies completely surrounded the barrier, swarming it with a mass of shining, writhing bodies. They pounded at their combined barrier, checking for any weak spots, ignoring Lea’s flames and the scorch marks they brought upon their bodies, only avoiding them when the heat became too much.

But it didn’t matter how many Lea took out with his fire; more just took their place. Their numbers were seemingly endless. 

Lea and Aqua’s magic was not.

His head was swimming, the dull ache he’d felt before turned into a stabbing pain. His vision was blurred and distorted, the only thing he could see clearly was Aqua beside him, her arm still wrapped tightly around his waist, her hand still in his. Their hands were still clasped together, what little magic they had flowing together to sustain the barrier.

Aqua was just as exhausted and ragged as he was. And yet, somehow, they held out. Their barrier held, and Lea allowed himself to hope that, somehow, they’d make it out of this. He let himself believe that they’d be okay.

And then one of the Berserkers approached, shoving aside the smaller Dusks and is lumbered toward the barrier. It raised its claymore high above its head, ready to smash it into their barrier. Instinctively, Lea forced his fire to bend and shape itself, twisting away from the fire and turning into a spear of pure flame that arced for the Nobody.

His fire pierced the Berserker straight through its chest. It staggered, dropping the claymore before dissipating into pure light. The flames lingered for a moment before returning to their place around the barrier. He’d taken out the Berserker, but it’d come at a heavy cost. 

He faltered, his free hand clutching at his chest, where a stabbing pain was now lancing through his heart. His hands were shaking beyond his control. He looked to Aqua, only to find two versions of her looking back at him. He was at the very ends of his magic. He didn’t know how much longer his flames would last, and there was no way he could fend off another Nobody like that.

She let go of his hand, placing it on his arm in an attempt to steady him. “Lea, y-... your nose is bleeding.”

Surprised, he raised a hand to his face. Sure enough, a trickle of blood ran down his mouth and chin, dripping onto the soil below him. “I-I don’t think I can hold on much longer.”

Aqua squeezed his arm. “I can’t either.”

“Any more bright ideas?”

She shut her eyes in thought. “I can only think of one thing. Remember how my barrier exploded in our fight?”

Lea’s eyes widened. “You want to…?”

“Explode this barrier, the same way as before. Maybe we won’t escape this, but we can take a good number of them out before we…” Her sentence trailed off, as though voicing what would happen once the barrier was down would make it all the more real.

“At least we can say we fought ‘til the end.”

Aqua exhaled slowly, a grim smile spreading on her face. “Til’ the end.”

“On your mark, Master.”

“One.”

Aqua’s hand returned to his. Both of them shook wildly, from fear, from exhaustion, from what they were about to do. In the end, he was going to get taken by the Nobodies anyway, but he supposed that maybe it was better this way. To have gone down fighting rather than to have given in.

“Two.”

The Nobodies surrounding them pounded on the barrier with new intensity. With a crackling noise, fractures appeared across the magic, spreading with each hit. The dying embers of Lea’s flames were no longer enough to keep the Nobodies at bay.

Aqua squeezed his hand, huddling close to him. She looked up at him, her eyes meeting his. Her expression was a mix of fear, determination, and something else he couldn’t quite read. He squeezed back.

“Three.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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